Puzzle
by wolfsbane92
Summary: Paul Meraz is everything her parents warned her about. Beautiful, dangerous, passionate, broken, a puzzle begging to be solved. Paul/OC. Off shoot of Melt, but that does not have to be read first. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: OMG IT'S TEH PAUL STORY! SQUEE! This is a bit of an offshoot from my other story, Melt, which is a Jacob story. However, you don't have to read that one to get this one (though I would greatly appreciate it ;D ). I can't promise a date for the next chapter, but I just wanted to stick this one on here and see what you guys think! So please be patient with me. :)**

**This chapter is dedicated to gabycaldemeraz, because she is awesome and loves Alex Meraz as much as I do, and littlejunior98, because she needs something to make her feel better and hopefully this will help. :) Sorry that it's not Jakey loving, for all who are waiting on the next chapter of Melt, but I needed to switch things up a bit so I don't get bored with Melt. **

**Feel free to review if you'd like! I'd really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: Okay, I'm only going to do this once. No, I do not own anything related to Twilight. If I did, Jake would be with someone that's human and not a mutant demon baby thing, and Paul and Leah would get together and have beautiful, passionate love. :D Comprende? Si.  
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**Chapter 1**

"'His eyes were an endless chasm of love and desire, sweetness and a passion so strong it consumed her, body and soul. The very sun dimmed next to his brightness, and she did not know how life was ever possible before him.' That's all I've got so far. What do you think?" my best friend and future romance novelist extraordinaire asked before stuffing a French fry in her mouth.

I waved a carrot stick at her and grinned.

"You, my dear, are epic," I answered. She blushed and hugged her notebook close to her chest, squealing in delight.

"Ooo, I can't wait to finish this one! Sonnet is the perfect name for the main character!" she cried. I smirked, leaning in close.

"Not to mention it's name of my dear cousin, who you have a crush the size of Alaska on," I whispered. She blushed an even deeper shade of pink and swatted me over the head with the spiral bound notebook, before looking around to see if anyone had heard.

Callista had been my best friend since eighth grade, my homie, my partner in crime. Well, maybe not. I was usually the crime and she was normally the sad lass that got dragged along.

But she still loves me, so it's all good.

She looks innocent enough, but her writing is the epitome of awesome, sometimes sassy enough to make even the rowdiest bunch blush all the way down to their toes. People pay for her writing, she is that good.

"Callista my sista, you'd better hurry and finish that lovely burger of yours before I snatch it off of your tray," I warned, eyeing the delectable burger hungrily. Wide eyed, she quickly grabbed it up and scarfed it down, leaving not a crumb for me to eradicate from her plate. I frowned and sighed, staring down at my miserable lunch box full of salad, rabbit food that my aunt had decided I needed to eat or else I would perish from lack of supposedly "vital" vitamins and minerals. I guess that's why they are called vitamins, they kind of have "vital" in the word there, but who says I can't get vitamins from a Pop Tart? Adults and their silly ideas.

I jumped as a tray slammed down on the table, bringing me out of my cloud of thoughts.

"Jeez, Nic, what's up with you?" I grumbled, cocking an eyebrow at the gangly red head in front of me. He scowled at me before shrugging his backpack off and slumping down into the seat next to Cal, mumbling curses. "Care to explain? Care not to explain? Care to hand over that there chicken strip before the writer gets hurt?" I teased, poking Cal in the side. She yelped and scooted closer to Nic, who shoved his tray over to me.

"Take it, I'm not that hungry," he mumbled.

"Oh, the accent gets me every time. So sexy," I teased, nabbing the strip before he changed his mind. My efforts were rewarded with a grin.

"I'm pleased that I can affect you so significantly, Miss Jameson," he teased back, batting his eyelashes at me.

Nic, or Nicolas, Nicola, Nicky, Noo Noo, or whatever other name I could come up with for him, was another friend of mine. We had only recently met, as he had transferred from his homeland in Scotland to come live with his father right here in Washington state. He was the stereotypical hotheaded Scotsman, but was a sucker for cute girls. Cute girls like Cal, wink wink.

She giggled at his antics, and his eyes glazed over as he smiled back at her. _Ah, young love. So sweet, so fresh, so not in my life right now_, I thought, mentally sobbing as I observed Nic trying to feed Callista a chocolate chip cookie. She, being the shy one, of course refused, and had to hold his arm away from her face before she got chocolate smeared all over it. I could tell he was thoroughly pleased by her reaction, as she rarely made contact with anyone. She had gotten used to my vicious hug attacks from nowhere, but was still a little tense when anyone, mostly guys, tried to touch her. Nic had learned that the hard way when he had tried putting the moves on her, only to end up with bruised eye. I laughed for days afterward.

"So what's gotten you so hot and bothered?" I questioned. He stopped play fighting with Cal and sighed.

"Robertson gave me a D on my exam."

"What! You—we studied for that thing for days!" I cried in disbelief. He rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Yeah, well, apparently it wasn't enough," he grumbled. "What did you get?"

"A ninety-five," I mumbled quietly, looking up at a particularly interesting speck of dust on the ceiling.

"Excuse me if I haven't lived in this country long enough to have the entire Bill of Rights drilled into my head as you all have since the wee age of five!" he shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. Cal patted his shoulder sympathetically, which instantly brightened him up. "Oh well, it's just one exam right? The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting, and I have two lovely girls at my side. Feh, test. What test?" he shrugged.

I snorted and threw a piece of lettuce at him. He looked flabbergasted.

"Young lady, there are starving children in Africa who would love to have this lettuce," he said seriously, waving the lettuce around in his hand. I sighed, knowing it was true, and shoved a forkful of gross into my mouth.

"It's not that bad, May," Cal giggled. I glared at her and continued grinding the bits of organic matter between my teeth before swallowing. I grabbed Nic's apple juice against his protesting shouts and chugged it in an attempt to mask the taste of nasty green stuff. It helped a little.

Soon after, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. We walked Cal to her history class before heading off to Calculus, which Nic and I had together.

"She doesn't even notice me," Nic sighed woefully as we claimed the desks at the back corner of the room. I patted his arm affectionately and smiled.

"Oh, I think she does, my friend. Did you see the way she patted your shoulder? Very bold move on her part," I said, nodding seriously. He grinned, a pink tinge flowing into his pale cheeks as his eyes glazed over once more. "Earth to Nic, are you there?" I teased, gently tugging a lock of his curly copper hair. He swatted my hand away with a smile, but then he noticed something past my shoulder and glowered. I turned around to see what it was and was met with a faceful of blue flannel.

"Good afternoon, _ladies_," a silky smooth voice said from above my head.

"Can I help you, Sir Dipstick?" I asked, glaring at the raven haired boy behind me. He smirked, crossing his arms, which made the powerful muscles beneath them stand out even more. I pretended not to notice and kept my eyes on his face.

"Just wanted to give a friendly hello, what's with the anger? Chillax," he smirked, slumping into the seat beside me. I glared at him even more.

"Just because Nic and I are the only people who know that you exist in this class does not mean you have permission to speak to us. Ever. K thanks," I said nonchalantly, swiveling back around to face Nic, who continued to glare at the abominable roach known as Noah.

"Heard from your mum lately?" I asked Nic, completely ignoring the pair of eyes on the back of my head. Nic shrugged, his hazel eyes growing a little sad.

"Yeah, but she didn't care to say much. Had some date or another to go on," he mumbled, picking at the hole in his jeans.

"Aw," the sniveling voice behind me said sarcastically. I ignored him and continued on.

"Yeah, she's probably trying to get back into the swing of things. You know how middle aged women are, always trying to snatch up a man before they get too old," I chuckled. Nic still looked a little put out, so I took off one of my neon bracelets and stuck it on his wrist. "Yellow for happiness. You deserve it, buddy," I smiled. He nodded, shaking his head at me but smiling nonetheless.

"Little Nicky missing his mommy?" Noah sneered. I calmly got out of my chair and whipped around to face him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. He looked thoroughly amused, his right eyebrow arched in question as his green eyes twinkled playfully.

"Listen here, you rancid bag of fermented dog piss, you don't know a single thing about what it's like to lose a parent, so don't you dare make fun of Nic or me or anyone for that matter," I hissed, nearly spitting in his stupid face. The teacher chose that moment to walk into class, so I quickly dropped Noah's shirt and scuttled back to my desk, still seething at his remark. I ignored him for the rest of class, keeping my glaring eyes focused on the board as I jotted down notes that I didn't even comprehend. Nic did enough glaring at him for the both of us, so I was a little relieved at that. When the bell rang, I was ready to bring out the gun show (my fists, don't get excited) if needed, but Noah just waved once and walked out of class. I took a deep breath and grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder as I followed Nic out of the room. We picked Callista up again and headed to art, the only class we all shared together.

I scribbled lovely fantasies of a certain dark headed guy drowning, being run over by a train, and catching on fire while Nic and Cal worked on their projects. The teacher walked over and questioned my work, to which I replied with a rambling of how it was a representation of the oppressive nature of something or another. He seemed pleased by that and even praised my work. I shot glares at Nic and Cal as they snickered behind his back.

The rest of the day went relatively well, and soon I forgot about the desire to seriously maim one of my schoolmates as I headed home. My house wasn't too far from the school building, so I took advantage of the oddly serene weather and walked home, the wind and sunshine at my face. As I traipsed up the sidewalk, I noticed my little sister sitting on the front porch with her head in her hands.

"Jane? Are you okay? What's wrong?" I asked, pulling her into my arms. She sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve, tears pouring down her little red face.

"I'm s-s-sorry, May. I d-didn't mean to let her she just k-kept pulling me and then I c-couldn't hold her anymore a-and," she stammered. I pulled her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ears, then wiped her tears away with my sleeve.

"What are you talking about, Jane?" I asked gently.

"Spud ran away from me!" she cried, burying her face in my shirt. My heart dropped in my chest, feeling like a ton of lead in my chest.

"What do you mean she ran away, honey? What happened?" I asked. Jane quickly related the story about how she wanted to take Spud, our golden retriever, out for a walk after school. She had given her a biscuit, put her on her favorite leash, and brushed her really nice (details to a five year old are really important) before opening the door. She said Spud kept pulling on her leash, almost to the point of dragging my poor sister down the road before Jane had to finally let go and Spud ran off into the woods. I believed my sister, but it was odd that Spud had even pulled her like that. We had her trained since she was pup to not pull on her leash, since my baby sister liked to take her for walks around the front yard.

"Do you know which direction she went in?" I asked. Jane nodded, her blonde curls bouncing as he pointed toward the forest at the end of our dead end street. I nodded, picking her up before heading inside. My aunt was asleep on the couch, as usual because she worked the night shift as a security guard, but I woke her up and told her what happened.

"Aw, honey. Come on, we'll go look for her. Jane, put your boots on, we're going to be roughing it a little," she said, smiling at my sister. Jane nodded, her small face still looking troubled as she ran upstairs to her room to retrieve her shoes. My aunt rubbed her eyes, sighing.

"I'm so sorry, May. I thought she would be okay, I was sitting here watching TV and I guess I fell asleep," she mumbled. I patted her shoulder.

"It's okay. Spud's a good doggy, she'll come back home," I said, assuring myself more than my aunt. Jane came running back down the stairs with her boots on. We were about to leave when she stopped us and ran back to the kitchen. She scrambled back with a handful of dog biscuits, which she promptly shoved into her pocket with the notion that Spud would smell them and find us because of it. I smiled and hugged her before taking her hand in mine and heading out.

We searched for hours, trekking through the well used hiking trails and shouting out Spud's name to no avail. It was nearing dusk when Aunt Mona called off our search.

"I'm sorry guys, but we should head home now. These woods are dangerous at night," she said, guiding us out of the trees. I didn't really care at the moment, seeing as how my child was out running around in said dangerous woods by herself with no food or water and it looked like it was going to rain tonight. I gave one last glance over my shoulder, hoping to see my fluffy, golden haired dog behind me, before sighing and catching up with my family.

Nic and Cal helped me search when they could, but by the end of the week I was starting to lose hope. I had printed off dozens of lost dog flyers and stapled them to every available surface in town, but had yet to receive any calls.

"Have you tried the reservation?" Cal asked as we chatted over dinner at the Chinese food place she worked at. A light bulb went off in my head.

"Actually I hadn't even thought about that. Good idea!" I exclaimed. She wanted me to wait until she got off of work, but I was pretty impatient. I grabbed my fortune cookie off the table, gave her a quick hug, and was out the door. I ripped open the plastic that surrounded the cookie, then broke it in half and munched as I walked. I pulled the small strip of paper out of it, reading it with a confused expression.

_**Trust your intuition. The universe is guiding your life.**_

I shrugged, throwing paper behind me (it's biodegradable!) before heading off to the reservation.

I couldn't get to La Push fast enough.

Flyers and stapler in hand, I littered the place with pictures of my beloved Spud. The people I asked were really friendly, and I nearly hugged a guy when he said he had seen a dog like mine at school one day. He told me some guy took her home though, which made me really sad. I asked him if he knew where he lived, and he pointed me to a few houses down the road. I thanked him profusely before running down to the house and rapidly knocking on the door. I bounced on the balls of my feet impatiently until the door was opened by an older woman. I frowned, but thought it could possibly be the same house.

"Um, hi! My name is May, and I was wondering if you've seen my dog? She looks like this," I said quickly, shoving a flyer under her nose. She adjusted her glasses and stared at the picture for a moment.

"I think this may be the dog my son brought home a few days ago," she frowned.

"Like a week ago?" I asked excitedly. She nodded. "Is he here? Does he have her? Can I see her?"

She shook her head sadly.

"No, he took her for a walk a little while ago. Said he was going to Nilly's with a friend. Do you know where Nilly's is?" she asked. I shook my head and she gave me directions to the diner, called Willy Nilly's, which I thought was adorable.

"My son looks like this," she said, smiling as she brought a framed picture to the door. She pointed to a guy in the middle of a group of guys.

Sweet mamba jamba the guy was gorgeous! I gawked at his image, memorizing every detail before grudgingly handing the picture back to her.

"Handsome, isn't he?" she asked, nudging me with her elbow as she grinned. I chuckled and waved my hand in front of my face like I was hot.

"Oh, very," I replied. She laughed and went to replace the picture.

"Paul has grown quite fond of that dog. I'll be a little sad to see it taken away from him," she sighed, gazing up at me above her square lenses.

Sorry lady, she was mine first. He can go save another dog from a shelter, this one is mine.

"Maybe he can visit sometime or something," she said, a sly glint in her eye. However suggestive, I liked this old woman. I thanked her and she wished me good luck as I ran down the sidewalk.

I got lost.

I turned left instead of right or something went wrong and ended up walking down a gravel road that led to a small cabin. Ignoring the creepy feelings of being watched, I walked up to the house. The front door was open, and delicious smells were wafting out from inside. I knocked tentively, stepping back off the porch incase I needed to get a head start run in from some creepy, horror movie type guy. There was a slight clanging noise before a woman poked her head around a corner, wiping her hands on a towel.

"Oh, can I help you?" she asked, smiling as she came to the door. I did my best not to stare at the three long scars that ran down the right side of her face, and instead focused on the beautiful, smiling side.

"I'm not really from around here," I started.

"Obviously," she smiled, but not in a sarcastic way.

"Uh, well, I've been looking for my dog. She's about yea big," I said, motioning to my knee, "and has long yellow fur and a blue collar."

"Paul's dog," she said, her face freezing. I nodded.

"Uh, so I've been told. But she's really my dog, my sister was trying to walk her but she ran away and we haven't seen her since. I got pointed to some place called Nilly's, but I don't think this is it," I chuckled. She laughed, waving at me to come inside. I glanced around nervously, looking for any sort of ax or machete or Freddy Krueger claws, but only saw a comfy couch and a large wooden table. She motioned for me to sit down and went to fetch some paper and a pencil.

"Now, I am so not an artist, but I'll draw you a map. If it doesn't work, you can come back here and Paul is bound to show up sometime," she smiled, beginning her sketch. She finished quickly and handed me the paper, which looked like a reasonable enough map to me.

"Thank you! Oh, I'm sorry, I completely forgot! My name is May Jameson," I said, sticking my hand out. She shook it, and I no longer noticed the scars as she smiled brightly.

"I'm Emily Uley. Nice to meet you," she grinned.

"Likewise!"

I thanked her again and she walked me outside, giving me directions again to make sure I understood the map. She waved and I headed back down the gravel road. Emily seemed nice enough, but there was something about the surrounding woods that gnawed at me. My eyes darted back and forth suspiciously as I walked hurriedly, longing to get back into civilization. The gravel road seemed longer than it had on the way up. My eye suddenly caught sight of something large and furry standing between two trees, making my heartbeat skyrocket. When I looked again, there was nothing there, but it was enough to make me run back to the main road. I glanced behind me several times to make sure I wasn't about to get attacked by a bear, but nothing was ever there even though I still had the creeping feeling.

"Get a hold of yourself woman!" I hissed to myself, slapping my cheeks a few times. I shook out my arms and legs before heading off again. It was not long until a building came into sight. Small and homey looking with a bright orange neon said that said, "open," Willy Nilly's looked like any other hometown diner. I sniffed the air a few times and sighed, the smell of greasy burgers and French fries floating through the air. I debated on whether or not to go inside and get something to eat when a flash of gold caught my eye.

"Spud?" I called softly. A golden head popped out from behind a newspaper stand, the golden head I had been longing to see all week. "SPUD!" I cried happily, running towards my beloved pup. She jumped up on all fours, wagging her tail furiously as I approached. I threw my arms around her neck, relishing the feeling of her soft fur against my face.

"Oh Spudsy, you naughty girl, you have no idea how Mommy has missed you!" I said, giving her a squeeze. She licked my face, causing me to giggle as I started untying her. I jumped as I heard the glass door banging open, the bells clanging noisily.

"What the hell are you doing with my dog?" an angry male voice asked. I ignored him and continued untying my precious goggy, excitement coursing through me at the thought of Jane's face when she saw her.

"I'm so happy I found you, Mommy's pretty girl," I cooed quietly. Spud cocked her head to the side in question, then looked past me and whined.

"Um, excuse me. My friend here is just kind of wondering why you're taking his dog," a gentle female voice asked. I dusted off my knees, then stood up and frowned at the girl. Her wide hazel eyes glanced back and forth between me and the guy, her hand gripping his arm tightly.

"This is my dog," I said, "She ran away a few days ago and I haven't been able to find her. But Mommy found you now, didn't she Spud?" Spud licked my hand in appreciation, the mischievous creature.

"SPUD? What the hell kind of name is that?" the guy roared. I crossed my arms and glared at him. Well, at his chest. My eyes drifted up until they landed on his face, the face I recognized from the photo the old woman had showed me. _This delightful creature must be the infamous Paul_, I thought.

"Her name is Spud. Got it memorized? And she's my dog, so lay off," I growled, inwardly applauding myself for getting the chance to use my favorite video game line. He groaned and looked up at the sky, and I almost expected him to stamp his foot like my little sister does when she's angry. He looked back down at me, dark brown eyes narrowed in anger, and suddenly it didn't matter.

The world seemed to spin around me, my feet seemed grounded on nothing as my heart sped up for no reason at all. It was dizzying the amount of emotion that coursed through me like a quick poison, infecting each and every cell in my body with the extreme pull I felt toward Paul. He was like water and I was the lost desert journeyman, desperate for the taste of him against my lips.

I watched those glorious little lips open and close for a few moments before my brain registered that he was speaking.

"Hi, I'm Paul," he sighed, his angry expression dropping to reveal a silly grin. Oh, I could just melt in those eyes. I tried to wipe the dumb look off of my face and cocked an eyebrow at the beautiful man.

"I'm May," I replied.

"And I'm Ina, but could you wait here for just a second please? We'll be right back," the girl beside him said. Her eyes flickered back and forth between the two of us uneasily as she dragged Paul over to a corner of the diner and started whispering hurriedly to him. He was paying no attention to her and was still staring at me, half lidded eyes and a slight smirk giving him an oh-so-sexy expression. He caught my eyes and I was frozen, drowning in pools of molten caramel chocolate. My daze was abruptly called off as Ina shook his shoulders to get him to listen to her. I frowned and stuck my tongue out at her behind her back, but had to suck it in and smile as she glanced over at me. I waved enthusiastically, scowling at her once more as she turned back around. Paul said something in reply, then looked back over at me as Ina dragged him back.

"Okay, so here's the thing," she began, being abruptly cut off by Paul's huge hand wrapping around her face. Her hazel orbs rolled up to look at him questioningly as he leaned with one elbow on her head, then grinned confidently. I felt electricity run down my spine as his gaze connected with mine. His eyes were so intense, passionate, and slightly dangerous looking.

"Will you go out with me?" he asked suddenly.

I was shocked for a moment before my fortune cookie's advice floated through my head. _Alright,_ I thought, _I can take a bad boy. _

"Okay," I replied, winking at him. He grinned even wider before slinging an arm around my shoulder and grabbing Spud's leash, then leading me off down the road. Spud turned around once and barked at Ina, then licked Paul's hand affectionately.

"I think she likes you," I chuckled.

I wasn't sure if it was the close proximity or the heat flowing from his skin that made my face heat up like it did, but somehow I was blushing like an elementary school girl as he hugged me in closer. I snaked an arm around his waist and nearly fainted from the effort as I felt the smooth muscle moving underneath his thin T-shirt. Yes, be jealous, be very jealous.

"So, where do you live?" he asked nonchalantly, molten eyes glancing down at me. My mouth hung open and I felt my brain fogging up at the sight of sunlight bouncing off of his chocolate orbs, throwing flecks of gold throughout his irises. He looked at me curiously, then leaned down slightly, a cocky smirk gracing his lips as his eyes flickered between my eyes and mouth. My breathing quickened, my heart beat rapidly picking up as he got closer. I closed my eyes, skin tingling with the warmth he emitted.

I yelped as Spud's icy snout touched my hand, throwing my arms up and accidentally socking Paul in the nose.

"What the hell?" he hissed, gripping his face as he glared down at me.

"Aw man, I'm so sorry!" I apologized, digging around in my pockets for some tissue.

"Yeah, you'd better be!" he growled. I stopped my search, slowly turning my head to glare up at him.

I know he didn't.

"What did you just say?" I said through gritted teeth. He glowered back, anger filled gaze unrelenting as his shoulders trembled.

"I said you'd better be sorry. What, you have hearing problems or are you just stupid?" he said in a low voice.

I punched him again, on purpose this time. As he howled in pain, I threw several tissues down on the ground and grabbed Spud's leash.

"I change my mind. NO, I will NOT go out with you, you jerk!" I yelled before hauling Spud down the road. She whined and struggled, but one look from me silenced her. Whether she liked Paul or not, I was still her owner, and she knew better. And sexy or not, I knew better than to let some jerk face walk all over me.

"Aw, baby, come on! I was just kidding!" Paul whined as he ran to catch up with me. I continued my furious pace, not even daring to spare a look for him because I knew it would be my undoing. It was unholy how beautiful the guy was, and I was not going to risk losing my dignity by melting all over his studded leather boots.

"You know, I'll just follow you home, right? Baby?" he reasoned. I paused again, making him walk several steps passed me before he realized I had stopped.

"I have a name, and it's not 'baby,'" I growled, staring straight ahead. He walked in front of me and leaned down, and I forced myself to stare at his hairline so that I wouldn't get caught again. He cupped my chin with his hand and gently tugged my face down. I looked at the ground instead.

"May," he sighed, "look at me."

Oh, what the heck.

"I'm sorry I'm such a jerk. I know it and admit it," he said grimly. Jerk? What? So gorgeous. Such beautiful eyes. He has a particularly aristocratic nose, it slightly flares out at the nostrils, gently sloping down to meet his flushed cheeks. I let my eyes wander over his lips, those perfect, Cupid's bow shaped lips. Bottom lip slightly fuller than the top, parted so he could breathe and slightly damp from him licking them constantly. What are they doing? Hey, those things are getting kind of close. This could be dangerous.

"Paul, stop," I said quietly, placing a finger on his mouth. His lips were as soft as they looked, and I just left my finger there as I looked him in the eye.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I don't know what came over me," he stammered shyly. It was pretty cute, watching him blush and rub his head nervously. He quickly backed up, and looked at the ground. I patted his stomach in a comforting move and tried to ignore the shouts of, "ARE THOSE THINGS REAL?" wanting to burst out of my mouth. I froze as he caught my hand and held it there, letting my fingers skim over his rippling muscles underneath. I quickly swallowed the drool forming in my mouth and snatched my hand away.

"Like them? Here, I can show you the rest if you want," he smirked slyly. He suddenly pulled up the bottom of his shirt to reveal his quite well formed torso. I nearly fainted on the spot. My mouth hung open and I had to blink a few times to shake the fog out of my head. Apparently it wasn't successful.

"Do you want to model for me?" my mouth blurted out on its own. I quickly covered it, eyes wide as I watched the slow smile spread across his face. "Uh, I uh, I mean, what? Ha ha, oh wow. Um. I didn't mean tha—"

"Sure, anything for you," he replied, biting his bottom lip. "You an artist?"

"You could say that," I shrugged, ignoring the heat pooling in my cheeks.

"Great. I have a talented imprint," he mumbled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"A what?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, um, nothing," he stammered, catching himself. I eyed him suspiciously, but he just grinned. "So, if I model for you, will you take back your take back and go out with me?"

I thought for a moment.

"We'll see," I said slowly, instantly regretting it as his eyes burned a searing gaze into my own, lips forming a half smirk. "That's not a yes, in case you were wondering."

"But it's a maybe," he grinned. I shook my head.

"You are sadly mistaken. Not even those amazing abs could entice me to date such an arrogant guy as you," I scoffed, beginning to walk again.

"Oh, so they're amazing, huh?"

"Of course he would ignore the arrogant part."

"I'm not arrogant. What's wrong with being confident?"

"There is a difference between being arrogant and being confident. Arrogance usually means you're hiding something, covering up for your lack of true confidence by being a miserable jerk. Confidence means that you're willing to show who you really are and don't care what other think about you," I reasoned. We had finally reached my neighborhood, I realized.

"Well, who says I'm not just a jerk by nature?" he teased. I stopped, eyeing him with the gentlest look I could muster.

"There's pain in your eyes. You're suffering, but you don't want anyone to know it because you think they'll think you're weak," I replied.

He stopped dead in his tracks, looking down at me uneasily. I continued on to my house, glancing over my shoulder at him. "See you later, Paul." I turned to open the front door, but was suddenly whipped around and pressed against the wall. My heart stopped in my chest as Paul pressed his warm, soft lips against mine, moving them in a gentle rhythm that betrayed his true nature. I closed my eyes, forgetting to breathe for a moment. Sadly, he pulled away after a few moments, but still had my head trapped between his hands. His cocky grin was back, and there was fire in his eyes as he spoke.

"You can see right through me, can't you, babe?" he mumbled, his voice deep and husky. I sucked in a breath as he leaned in again, pressing his body against me as he titled my head up to look at him. His nose grazed against my cheek as he inhaled deeply, stopping just above my ear.  
"You don't scare me. But I think I scare you," he growled.

I froze, truthfully terrified as he got even closer. I felt like I should run, get away from this man who was visibly full of passion and anger and just screamed danger, but something inside of me told me to stay. He pulled back, and underneath it all I could see that he was uncertain, pained even. He looked me dead in the eye, his gaze making me weak in the knees.

"Don't worry. I'll make you fall in love in with me, whatever it takes," he said. He pressed his heated lips against my cheek and released me, then walked down the steps and out to the sidewalk in a flash of movement.

My knees really did give out, and I slumped to the ground with my heart still hammering away in my chest. I touched my finger to my lips, which were tingling and still so very warm from Paul's infused heat. I watched him walk down the sidewalk, his movement all grace and power and radiating something so wild that I wasn't sure if I could handle it.

Spud whined, bringing me out of my daze as she licked my cheek warmly.

"Hey girl," I said, rubbing her ears, "I think that jerk actually one upped me."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey hey, another chapter! I hope you guys were pleased with the last one. I really like this chapter, I think I did pretty well on it, if I do say so myself. :3 There is some hawtness near the end, so watch out! You might melt. :) Just kidding, haha. **

**PLEASE review! I really need your opinion so I can see if I'm doing okay! Peace and enjoy!  
**

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**Chapter 2 **

"May May! Wake up!" my sister shouted in my ear. I jumped and almost fell off of the bed, successfully hitting my head on the wall. As I hissed in pain, my little sister giggled and ran out of the room. "Someone is at the door for youuu!" she squealed, running down the stairs.

"Urg," I grunted, pulling my hair in front of my face. "Cal had better have a good excuse for waking me up so early." I shuffled down the stairs, blonde waves frizzy and sticking out at odd angles. I tripped on the bottom step, but managed to bounce off of the wall relatively unharmed.

"Can I help you?" I growled, flinging the front door open.

It was definitely not Cal.

"Hey sexy," Paul grinned, eyeing my short shorts. I slammed the door in his face and turned to Jane, who was hiding behind the couch. "What did I tell you about opening the door for strangers when I'm not awake and when Auntie Mona is home?" I chastised. She frowned.

"But he said he was your friend!" Jane argued, crossing her arms and pouting. I waggled a finger at her.

"He lied. I do not know this man," I answered.

"YOU DO TOO!" Paul yelled from outside. "Open the door!"

I turned the lock and shuffled back to the stairs. Spud was pacing in front of them, whining when she heard Paul's voice. I tried to get past her, but she butted me with her nose and growled.

"Bad girl," I sighed, stepping over her. I moped back up to my room and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up around me before closing my eyes. Ah, sweet warmth! I burrowed into the still warm blanket and sighed, pulling my stuffed wolf into a hug. "Night night, Mocha," I said to him. I pushed the button on his paw and he howled in response. "Aw, love you too buddy!" I kissed his plush nose and snuggled down.

_Tap…tap…tap…tap tap tap tap tap—_

"GIVE IT A REST ALREADY!" I howled, throwing poor Mocha at the window from where the offensive noise was originating. I shuffled over and flung the window open to see Paul standing on the ground with his arms crossed, a smug look on his stupidly handsome face.

"What do you want?" I snarled.

He grinned. "Good morning to you too! Want to go for a walk with me?" he asked innocently. I glared at him, then shut my window. I was halfway back to my bed when my window was assaulted by fallen acorns once more. I flung the window open again, but Paul cut me off before I could curse him all the way back to La Push.

"Look, it's already ten o' clock and it's a really nice day out! I just want to get to know you, since you're my girlfriend and all, it's only natural, right? Please?" He put his hands together like he was praying and pouted cutely. Curse those big brown eyes.

I stared at him for a few minutes, seeing if I could perhaps make him uncomfortable enough to leave. He just stood there, left eyebrow cocked daringly as he stared right back. He winked and blew a kiss at me, to which I groaned and shut my window. He pelted it with acorns again and this time I let him have it.

"PAUL WHATEVER YOUR MIDDLE AND LAST NAMES ARE!" I screamed, chucking a nearby boot at his head. He caught it expertly, smirking that stupidly sexy smirk of his while he suffered the five-minute-without-a-pause-for-breath rant I gave him. I balled my fists at my sides and panted, glaring at him when I finished.

"You done?" he chuckled. I growled in frustration and pointed to the side.

"Go to the front door! Now!" I yelled.

"Yes ma'm, don't have to tell me twice!" He winked, taking my boot with him. I met him at the front door and pushed him to the couch, then shoved him down. Spud trotted over happily and licked his hand like it was a slab of bacon.

"Duchess!" he cried, throwing his arms around her. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Her name…is Spud…" I said through gritted teeth. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"It's an ugly name. She's a pretty dog and deserves much better," he shot back. I shoved my foot into his chest, arms still crossed, and glared at him some more until Jane came into the room.

"Spud is a pound puppy! Daddy named her that because potatoes are strong roots, and she's strong too!" she nodded matter of factly. Paul smiled sweetly at her, then ran his hand up my calf. I flinched and shoved him with my foot before taking it away.

"Well then, I stand corrected," he smirked, brown eyes making a slow trail down my body. I flushed and grabbed Spud's collar, dragging her away from Paul and over to Jane.

"Spud," I said firmly. Her head shot up to look at me, her big ears perked. "Bad man," I said, pointing to Paul. "Protect Jane for Mommy. Okay? Bad man." I pointed to Paul again for emphasis and put Jane's hand on top of her head. Spud looked between Jane and Paul helplessly, but sat beside my sister obediently. I turned to Paul.

"I'm going to brush my teeth and change. You keep your butt glued to that couch, Mister. You stay away from Jane. Got it? Good." I stalked off to the stairs before he could say anything else.

"You might want to shave your legs too, they're kind of hairy," he shouted once I was up the stairs.

"YOUR BUTT IS HAIRY!" I shouted back, stomping off to my room. I didn't want to say his mom was hairy, because she was a nice lady. So I opted for the next best thing.

With much grumbling and huffing, I was eventually decent enough to go outside and trekked back downstairs while shoving my red toboggan on my head. Paul was still sitting on the couch, just I as ordered, chatting with Jane about school. He glanced at me over her shoulder and smiled beautifully, making me trip on the carpet. I straightened myself up and took a deep breath, trying to keep the blood from rushing to my face as my heart pounded against my ribcage. I somehow managed to keep my cool and told Jane to go put her shoes on so we could go to the park.

"Yes!" she shouted, bumping fists with Paul triumphantly. That little snot had already finagled my little sister into being friends with him. She ran off and he stood up, dusting the dog hair off of his black slacks. I gazed at him in awe, now that my brain was clear enough for me to notice that he was dressed quite nicely in a simple button down white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I glanced down at my jeans and sneakers, then back up at him.

"What's the occasion?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Went to church with my mom," he replied simply. I nodded, shuffling uncomfortably in the awkward silence.

"Your mom is nice," I commented.

"Oh? Have you met her?" he asked, confusion twisting his handsome face into an adorable expression. I nodded.

"Yeah. She told me where Nilly's was. But I got lost and had to get directions from this lady named Emily."

"So that's what Emily was talking about," he chuckled, shaking his head. I shrugged. What was taking Jane so long?

I scuffed the carpet with my shoe for a moment before sighing and looking back up at him.

"I'm going to see if she's doing okay," I mumbled, squeezing past his large frame. I paused when I felt his warm hand wrap around my arm and looked up. Big mistake. He was smiling gently, his eyes looking quite tired but cheerful nonetheless.

"Thanks," he said simply.

"For what?" I asked, wavering between biting his hand and flinging my arms around his wide chest. He shrugged.

"For hanging out with me today even though you don't want to," he smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"You know, there's still time to decline. Jane isn't back yet." I spoke too soon.

"I'm ready!" Jane piped up, tumbling into the living room. I helped her up and tied her shoe for her.

"What took you so long?" I asked, straightening back up.

"I had to poop!" she said happily. I smacked my palm against my forehead and laughed, grabbing Spud's leash before shoving the both of them out the door.

I squawked angrily as Paul leaned down and placed a kiss against my temple while stealing Spud's leash from me as Jane ran along ahead of us.

"You!" I hissed, smacking his arm. He smirked.

"Don't pretend like you didn't like it, baby," he said smugly. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Stop calling me that."

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes. "Do I need a reason?"

"Yes."

I ignored him and caught up with Jane, knitting my hand with hers as we stepped into the park.

"What do you want to do first, kiddo?" I asked, looking around. The park seemed pretty deserted, so I traipsed back to Paul and let Spud off her leash as Jane headed to the jungle gym (do they still call them that? I don't know, I'm old now compared to Jane). I dug a tennis ball out of my bag and chucked it as hard as I could in the opposite direction. She took off after it, her golden body flying through the air at break neck amazing dog speeds. She sniffed around for a moment before picking it up with her teeth and running back to us.

"Play with Paul," I told her, taking the slimy ball out of her mouth and slapping it into Paul's unsuspecting hand. He grimaced and threw the ball again, then tried to wipe dog spit on my shirt.

"Hey!" I squealed, running away. He chased me halfway to Canada before I was finally give out. I squeezed my eyes shut as he barreled into me, whisking me up into his arms. I held on for dear life as he headed over to a puddle.

"You're not going to…hey! S-stop!" I shouted as he pretended to drop me several times. I heard a thwack and Paul froze, then looked over his shoulder with wide eyes. Jane stood behind him, grinning and holding up a hand full of mud.

"Good one, sis!" I said, giving her an air five. Paul narrowed his eyes at me, and the world was suddenly upside down as he threw me over shoulder and took off after Jane. I grimaced as my hand landed in a ball of mud on Paul's back, then tried to wipe it off then best I could on his face.

"Gross!" he yelled, flipping me back over so he could rub his cheek against mine. I pushed his face away and struggled to get out his iron grip, to no avail. I heard a second thwack before Paul started running after Jane at top speed.

"Run like you've never run before, Jane! Channel your inner cheetah! Oh, hey kid," I smiled as Jane was thrown over Paul's other shoulder. She grinned, her teeth and eyes the only spots on her face that weren't covered in mud. We both 'oof'-ed as Paul sat us down on a bench, looking at us with narrowed eyes and crossed arms.

"So, how 'bout them there facial masks? I hear they do wonders for your skin!" I teased, elbowing Jane in the side. She giggled. Paul frowned.

"Maybe so, but I don't know about clothes," he sighed, eyeing his shirt sadly. I whistled at Spud and stood up.

"We'd better get it out before the stain sets in," I said. Jane walked Spud as we hurried back home. Spud immediately went to her food bowl and started chowing down, scarfing her food in loud gulps and taking a few licks of water every now and then.

"Fatty," I teased. She licked my hand and started eating again. I told Jane to wash her face and hands, then led Paul back to the laundry room, pausing when a thought hit me.

"Let me go get you another…shirt," I finished lamely as I turned around and saw that Paul was completely shirtless.

Sweet mother of earth.

I watched Paul smirk as my eyes trailed not so surreptitiously down his torso. A gracefully arched neck tapered down toned muscles to firm shoulders and a well defined chest that screamed 'hug me!' I bent down to eye his abs, tracing the curves with my finger lightly.

"So that's how it goes. No wonder I could never draw it right…" I froze as Paul growled, then let my eyes slowly wonder back up to his.

"Sorry," I coughed, grabbing his shirt and immediately beginning to scrub it. I felt his arms slide around my hips, his lips at my ear.

"You can touch me anytime you want to. I'm yours, remember?" he growled softly. I ignored my fluttering heart and elbowed him in the gut, then turned to him with a soap covered finger pointing in his face.

"One: I told you I took back what I said. Two: Just because you're comfortable being touched like that does not mean I am. Three: You are incredibly well built. That is all." I turned back to my work as I heard him chuckle.

"You're an odd duck, you know that?" he said, leaning on the dryer beside me. I shrugged. "Most girls would be throwing themselves at me by now."

"Well, my not so dear friend, I am not most girls," I replied. I wasn't going to let _him_ know that I wanted to throw myself at him. My senses were on overdrive with him so close. I could feel the heat radiating off of his skin, the sweet scent of his cologne filling my brain with a fog.  
"Dude, you stink. What cologne are you wearing?" I grumbled sneakily. He frowned, and I almost felt bad. Almost.

"I don't wear cologne. I have…allergies, so I can't wear it," he sighed. Electricity tingled down my spine when he spoke, his deep voice vibrating the air surrounding him. I jumped when he moved to scratch his arm, then sneaked a look and noticed he had a tattoo on his arm.

"That's cool. Some kind of tribal thing?" I asked, poking the design curiously. His face tensed for a moment before he smoothed it into an arrogant smirk.

"Kind of. You like?"

I nodded. "I like wolves. They've been my favorite animal since I was a kid. All the other girls wanted ponies, I asked for a wolf puppy," I chuckled, holding up Paul's shirt. He seemed shocked, his eyes wide as he backed away slightly.

"Um, I'm going to go home now," he said, turning to walk out.

"What about your shirt?" I called after him. He didn't answer, but I heard a loud crash a few moments later. I ran into the living room to see Paul sprawled face down on the floor in handcuffs, my aunt standing over him with her arms crossed and still in uniform.

"Did you call the cops on me?" Paul grunted.

"Shut it, pretty boy," Mo replied, glaring down at him.

"Mo, that's my friend Paul!" I explained quickly. She seemed surprised at first and quickly released his hands, then ordered him to sit down on the couch.

"Why are you shirtless in front of my niece, young man?" she questioned.

"Young man? You don't look that much older, lady," Paul rumbled. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"We went to the park and Jane threw mud at him," I said hurriedly, eyeing Paul cautiously. "I'm washing his shirt right now."

Her head whipped in my direction. "And you didn't think to let him change first?" she said accusingly. I hated it when she used her cop voice with me.

"Excuse me, _Ramona_, I was kind of busy," I retorted.

"Doing what?" she asked. Her voice had a deadly edge to it as she eyed Paul suspiciously. I pointed to his sopping, soapy shirt.

"Trying to get rid of this," I replied. Paul stood up.

"I was actually just leaving when you tackled me," he chuckled, smirking down at my five-foot-seven aunt. "I'll come back later to get my shirt, okay?" he said to me. I nodded and he walked outside. I stared, pressing my face against the glass of the door to watch the sunlight caressing his warm russet skin.

"How old is he?" my aunt demanded.

"I don't know, actually," I answered, thoughtfully rubbing my chin. I realized I didn't know much about Paul, other than the fact that he was as arrogant as he was gorgeous.

"He looks twenty-five," Mo grunted, flopping down on the couch. "He is sort of beautiful though. I don't think I've ever enjoyed tackling a man so much." She grinned. I rolled my eyes and went to throw Paul's shirt in the washer.

True to his word, Paul visited again later in the evening. I was in my room doodling on random scraps of undone homework when my aunt let him in. She gave me a warning look before walking back down stairs, leaving the door open. Paul glanced over his shoulder, then back at me, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Lovely family members you have. Throwing mud, tackling, what's next? A severed ear?" he teased, sitting at the end of my bed.

"No," I replied, "We Jamesons prefer more subtle forms of torture."

"Oh, really?" he grinned, leaning in. "Like what?" His voice dropped an octave, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and I rolled my eyes despite the heated blush that was quickly covering my cheeks.

"Probably _not_ whatever is going on in that overly large head of yours," I scoffed, poking his cheek. He smirked, the corners of his narrowed eyes crinkling slightly. I froze, suddenly realizing that I was alone in a dark room with a man twice my size and infinitely more sexy. I grinned at the thought, giggling slightly.

"What are you thinking about?" Paul asked, rolling over onto his stomach with his head in his hands. Seeing him look up at me reminded me of Spud when she was begging for a treat. I smiled and patted his head.

"Good boy," I said. He smiled, closing his eyes as I ran my fingers through his thick hair. I watched his face and noticed that he looked even more tired than before. Dark circles rimmed his eyes under the fringe of black lashes splayed across his ruddy cheeks, and a small wrinkle seemed like it was permanently formed between his brows. It gradually became less defined as I played with his hair, but it was still visible. My heart ached to comfort him, to hold him and talk to him and kiss his worries away.

Wait, what?

I shook my head, trying to rid it of the blasphemous thoughts, but the image of Paul's worried face wouldn't go away. I longed to know what was going on with him, how his day was and what I could do to make it better.

"_There's pain in your eyes. You're suffering, but you don't want anyone to know it because you think they'll think you're weak." _

"Paul, what's bothering you?" I asked quietly. I had scooted down onto my stomach, resting my head on my crossed arms as I looked directly at Paul. He sighed and opened his eyes, smiling gently. His eyes flashed up to look at me, then back down as he spoke.

"Tribal stuff," he said softly. Those caramel chocolatey orbs of perfection floated back up to meet my gaze, making my heart sputter painfully in my chest. His expression was flat, like a mask, but I could see the pain and worry in his eyes. There was something else I couldn't quite place, but it burned so vividly I felt like I was looking at a wildfire, something dangerous that was all consuming but was perfectly hidden behind his unreadable expression.

I couldn't stop staring.

It felt like I had known Paul for eons, our souls bound together through time by something much greater than us, something powerful and ancient. The world deteriorated, leaving only the two of us lounging in a world of darkness, where the only light I could see was the illumination that embraced Paul's weary form. He was light, and strength, and passion. An angel in the moonlight. His wings were broken, the feathers having been long ripped out by whatever it was that made his eyes look that way, deadpan and angry. I could see him, bleeding and broken, but gasping for air and fighting for life just because he had to.

"My wings have been broken too," I mumbled, still lost in his eyes. He smiled and nodded, reaching his hand out. I intertwined my fingers with his, feeling the warmth he emitted like a ray of sunshine.

"_I have to go now_," he said. "_Wake up_."

"What?" I asked, confused. His voice sounded far away. He chuckled and cupped my cheek with his hand, then leaned up to kiss my forehead. I closed my eyes, relishing the feeling of his soft lips against my skin, and when I opened them again I was lying on my bed in my room, the lava lamp on my desk humming softly with electricity. I jumped when I noticed Paul was lying on his side, directly in front of me with a soft smile on his face.

"Did you have a nice nap?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I sucked in a breath, eyes wide from the mere millimeters of space between us. I wasn't sure if the heat flooding my face was from blushing or from Paul. Probably both.

"When did I fall asleep?" I asked. I couldn't move. I didn't want to.

"Not too long ago. I didn't want to wake you up, you looked kind of peaceful until the end. What did you dream about?" he asked quietly.

"You," I said without hesitation. His eyes widened, then he smiled again. Seeing the smile not reach his eyes broke my heart.

He leaned in again, and I didn't argue when he pressed his lips against mine. They were even gentler this time, as if he was afraid I was made of glass. He pulled back, eyeing me with uncertainty and looking like an innocent school boy that just stole a kiss he wasn't sure if he was going to be punched for. Something stirred within me, clouding my thoughts as I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him in again. It took him a few moments to get over his shock and kiss me back. He rolled on top of me, trembling slightly as his skin flooded with heat so intense I thought I was going to melt. My heart hammered in my chest, blocking out all sound except for the crashing rhythm of blood against my eardrums.

He sucked my bottom lip in between his teeth and ran his heated tongue over it, his large hands squeezing my hips and pulling them up against him. I whimpered softly at the contact and he froze, a deep growl vibrating through his chest.

"I have to go," he rumbled. My eyes shot open as cold air flooded my skin and Paul was gone, the curtains at my window flapping uselessly in the wind. I lay panting on my back, trying to get my breathing and heart rate under control.

"What the heck just happened?" I groaned, pulling my shirt down over the exposed skin of my lower abdomen. I got up and closed the window, then sat on my bed, hugging my arms to my chest. Paul's scent covered me like a blanket, the bruises from his harsh fingers aching on my hips. He was like a drug, pervading my mind and my senses. I definitely wasn't acting like myself, and it scared me to no end that he could affect me like that. I got up and made my way down the stairs, legs shaking and hands trembling as I gripped the rail for support. I opened the front door and walked outside, inhaling deeply as the cold air washed over me. I struggled to choke back the tears that were threatening to spill out.

"May Jameson," I asked myself, "What have you gotten yourself into now?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hellooo fans! It's a new chapter of Puzzle! Aren't you excited? I am. :) I've shirked off my paper writing duties in order to finish this today. So if I fail, I blame you guys. Just kidding! **

**Shout outs to:**

**gabycaldemeraz: Because you're awesome and give uber in depth reviews, which I LOOOOVE! If only everyone else gave cool reviews like you. -sigh-**

**Lady Amazon: Heck yes this story will be epic! Got it memorized? **

**SaaamForLife: Thanks for reviewing! **

**nannychu14: Thanks for reviewing! **

**If you guys love some Leah, I highly recommend you to head on over to gabycaldemeraz's page. She's pretty freaking awesome at portraying Leah and what's going on inside her head. She has a few stories with Leah/Jake and Leah/Paul, and then my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE has to be "When did you miss me?" There's lots of Leah angst, and it's so easy to relate to real life. If you've ever had your heart broken, you should fer sure read this story. I'm serious. Go now, sweet ducklings! **

**Please enjoy and PLEASE review! Am I doing okay? Do you like it? Hate it? Tell me so! Thanks for reading!  
**

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**Chapter 3 **

**:::Paul's POV::::**

Running didn't seem to be enough of an outlet for me. I needed to do something dangerous, something exhilarating to get rid of the excess energy that coursed through my body. My heart was on overdrive, body aching from the wish to change into something much faster, sleeker, and howl at the moon for all I was worth. I wanted to savor the moment for myself, not to mention the less that PG-13 thoughts that were running through my head.

My body ached for her in a way that caused physical pain. I _needed _to be near her, but I wasn't going to allow myself that option while I was, ahem, excited. She means more to me than my own life, and I'll be damned before I scare her off because I wolfed out a little.

I grinned just thinking about the way she was writhing beneath me, eyes closed, cheeks red, panting. And that noise she made, I would have been okay if it weren't for that damned noise that threw me over the edge.

I laughed out loud, throwing clothes left and right before leaping off the edge of a cliff and into the dark abyss that waited to embrace me. I didn't register the cold as I plunged deep into the water. I let my body float itself to the surface before swimming back to shore and jumping again. I jumped a few more times before my energy was finally spent and I crawled back to the beach. I flopped back onto the sand, hands behind my head and still buck naked in the bright moonlight. I didn't care.

I was the happiest man alive.

**:::May's POV:::**

I felt like the most disgusting woman alive.

I lay curled up under my blanket, Spud snoring softly beside me in the darkness. I stroked her soft fur, sniffling quietly every now and then as tears soaked into the fabric of my pillowcase.

I didn't regret kissing Paul so fervently like that. I was just shocked that I had even allowed myself to do it.

Then again, I wasn't myself around him.

The image of his eyes floated up in front me, passionate, dark, hungry, pained. I fully blame him for causing me to react so unusually. When he is near, my senses are clouded, body driven by some kind of primal urge that I have yet to comprehend. I felt lost, like I barely knew myself.

Spud shuffled, sticking her paw in my face as she dreamed whatever dogs dream about. She yelped suddenly and jumped up, her body a blur as she flew down the stairs. I followed her, knowing she went outside by the flapping of the doggy door. I unlocked it quietly, making sure Mo's squad car was gone before I slipped outside. I locked the door behind me so that Jane would be safe and followed Spud out to the edge of the woods.

I watched the moon as I ambled along, fuzzy house slippers getting soaked from the dew on the grass. My skin grew damp from the fine mist that floated through the air. I stopped in the middle of the field and took a deep breath, admiring the crisp cool air that filled my lungs with life. Spud barked happily near the woods, so either she was having a really relaxing pee or had found something she liked. I followed her to the edge of the woods, peering in unsurely at the darkness. The woods had an otherworldly feel to them, and I could feel the goose bumps rising on my skin when I stepped inside. I followed the trail of broken twigs and crushed leaves to a clearing where I heard Spud barking and whimpering.

"Spud?" I called quietly, not wanting to disturb the quiet slumber of the forest. She darted out from a patch of trees to the other side.

I froze as a huge shadow tumbled into the clearing, silver fur shining brilliantly in the full moonlight. It was as big as a horse and twice as wide. Its paws could have easily crushed my head beneath them. My breath caught in my throat as it stepped closer, flattening its ears against its head and lowering itself the ground.

"Oh no. Oh no no no no no," I breathed. I snapped my fingers for Spud to come to me, but she only darted on top of the beast's back, panting happily as it trembled beneath her.

"Come here girl. Come to Mommy," I whispered, barely daring to breathe. The beast whined and stepped even closer with Spud still on its back. I backed into the trees slowly, then turned and ran while screaming for Spud to follow me. I heard twigs breaking and the earth shook as the gigantic wolf bounded after me. Spud caught up with me and took the lead. The earth eventually stopped shaking, and I glanced back over my shoulder before running flat into a tree.

"May, good lord what are you doing out here?" the tree yelled angrily. Turns out it was Paul. I flung my arms around his wide bare chest and sobbed, the shock of being nearly eaten alive overwhelming me. He rubbed my back in warm, soothing circles before taking my hand and leading me out of the woods.

"Hey," he said quietly, "its okay, I'm right here with you. No need to be scared of anything when I'm around, okay?" I nodded, wiping my nose. My body was trembling so hard it rattled my brain inside my skull. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I leaned over and gave Paul and kiss on the cheek before cuddling into his side, my arms holding his torso tightly. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. I felt warm and safe with him, regardless of his lack of clothing. In fact, that was probably a plus. It was comforting to feel his overheated skin under my cheek. The sight of his abs was also comforting. And those long powerful legs. I'm getting off on a tangent. I'm sure you don't mind, wink wink.

"Come here, kid," he grunted as he pulled me into his lap. I didn't release my tight grasp on him and he chuckled, kissing my forehead. "You're safe now. Do you want to go inside where it's warm?"

"You're warm enough," I argued, pressing myself more firmly against him. He chuckled and shook his head, then swung me up bridal style as he attempted to carry me into the house.

"The door is locked," he frowned. I handed him the key hanging around my neck and he unlocked it, whistling at Spud to come inside before he shut the door behind him and carried me up stairs. He tried to set me down on the bed, but my arms were still latched onto his neck for dear life. "You going to let go of me or do I have to get in bed with you?" he asked. I stayed silent, not wanting him to leave but not wanting to stoop low enough to tell him that. Regardless of whether he saved me or not, he was still my moral enemy. My morals had no chance around that eight pack! Aha, bad joke I know…

He sighed and kicked his tennis shoes off before sliding the both of us under the blanket. He held it open and Spud darted under it, pressing her warm body against my toes. I sighed into his skin and he wrapped his warm leg over mine.

"Geez, you're freezing," he winced.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "You know what they say about people with cold hands."

"They have warm hearts?"

"Nope, they're in need of a hot guy to warm them up," I replied, smirking slightly. He snorted and shook his head. I was sure he was smirking happily, even though I couldn't see his face. "Hey Paul?"

"Hn?"

"How old are you?"

He paused for several long moments.

"I just carried you, crying, out of a dark scary forest and all you have to ask me is my age?"

"Well, it's only the first question. I have more later."

"Eighteen," he sighed.

"For real?" I squeaked, sitting up a little. He nodded, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"How old are you, blondie?"

"Sixteen. And I would appreciate it if you didn't call me blondie, it implies that I'm dumb," I answered.

"Jailbait," he snorted.

"Old fart," I grunted.

We lay in silence for a few more moments. I drummed my fingertips against his collar bone, giggling slightly at the hollow sound it made. He grabbed my hand. I frowned.

"Any more questions, pipsqueak?" he grunted. I sat up this time and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Just because you're a freak of nature does not mean I am short," I growled. He smirked, dark eyes glinting in the moonlight that slanted in through my window.

"Oh, really? How tall are you?" he asked innocently.

"Five nine."

"Six seven. I've got you beat by nearly a foot, so you are a pipsqueak in my book," he smiled.

"Freak," I growled, turning my back to him. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as his arms engulfed me from behind, his feverish lips at my ear.

"Don't you know it," he whispered, his voice husky. I pinched his leg and he yelped.

"Way to ruin the mood, BLONDIE," he shouted. I clamped my hand over his mouth and listened for Jane to stir. When it was silent after a few moments, I let go and shoved him back.

"There never was a 'mood' in the first place, _freak," _I hissed. He cocked an eyebrow at me and sat up again. My heart hammered in my chest as he leaned over me, making me fall back against the bed. I continued glaring at him, even though he looked like he had four eyes since he was so close to my face.

"What about earlier? You were practically begging for me to do it to you right then and there," he hissed.

"What? You are sadly mistaken, sir," I growled.

"Excuse me, _madam, _but I believe you were the one who pulled me on top of you," he grunted, eyebrows scrunched together in anger.

"No, _sir,_ I merely kissed you. It was you who decided to throw yourself onto me and stick your tongue in my mouth."

At least we were being polite in addressing each other.

"Exactly, _you _kissed _me. _I dare you. I _dare _you to tell me you didn't enjoy it one bit," he growled, voice low. I couldn't argue with that. I had greatly enjoyed it, but I wasn't about to tell him that. I rolled over onto my side, a difficult feat since he was practically laying on me, and closed my eyes.

"I'm tired. Go away, Paul," I sighed. He growled and roughly rolled me back over, sticking his nose in my face.

"Say it to my face. Tell me you hated me kissing you and never want it to happen again for the entirety of your life," he rumbled. I stared at him, narrowing my eyes. He didn't budge, his facial expression carefully guarded as he stared fearlessly back. When I was silent for a few minutes, he sat up and smirked. "That's what I thought."

"Don't be so smug," I grunted, rolling over to bury my face in the blanket. Spud growled as he smacked my butt and got up off the bed. In the split second that followed, I kicked my foot out toward his stomach, but he caught it and threw it back down. He crossed his arms, his eyebrow quirked. I lunged at him but he caught me around the back of my thighs and fell onto the bed.

"Do you really want to do this, blondie?" he growled. Fear coursed through me as I realized that he was pinning my hands down on the bed, his body positioned between my legs. We had our clothes on, of course, but the look in his eyes was unnerving, like he wanted to either beat me or devour me whole.

"Paul, you're scaring me," I whimpered. He blinked and sat up, his eyes wide.

"I'm really sorry," he mumbled as he shuffled back against the wall. "Um, I'll leave now. I'm sorry. Are you okay?" His face was worried, the fire gone from his eyes. I nodded and took a deep breath to try to calm myself down.

"It's okay, Paul. Um, see you later?" I asked tentively. He nodded.

"I'll call you, okay?" he said awkwardly before walking out. I sighed and flopped back against Spud, who had crawled out from under the blanket and was laying on my pillow. I glanced over at my clock and groaned.

Two hours later I was stumbling to the bathroom for a shower so I could go to school at least semi awake. I woke Jane up and made a quick breakfast of instant oatmeal and toast while she got dressed. We ate and were running out the door as Mo pulled into the driveway.

"Hi Mo! Bye Mo!" I called as we raced down the sidewalk.

"Do you want a ride?" she yelled.

"In a police car? No thanks!" I giggled. I grabbed Jane's hand and walked her to school, made sure she got in safely, then took off at a dead sprint to my school. I stumbled over to my locker and almost ran into Noah when I turned around. He had his arms crossed and looked a little miffed, to say the least.

"What do you want, Neanderthal?" I asked, glaring at him. When he didn't answer, I shoved past him and walked over the soda machines for a quick burst of energy from my dear friend Mountain Dew. As I was going to put my dollar bill in the machine, he snatched it out of my hand and ripped it up.

"What the crap is your problem? I haven't even done anything to you yet!" I growled.

"Who was that guy you were with yesterday at the park?" he questioned.

"What, are you stalking me now, Uncle Creeper?" I hissed.

"Just answer the damn question, brat," he barked. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"It's really none of your business, Mr. Caldwell. Now get out of my way before I hurt you," I snarled. I was so not in the mood for his attitude. Not only had I stayed up all almost all night crying my eyes out, my head was pounding ferociously.

"Do it then. I dare you," he said, his voice pure venom. What was with people daring me to do stuff lately? I tried to walk past him but he got in my way again, glowering down at me. I sighed.

"Noah, please move. Obviously there's something wrong with you, and you're taking it out on poor ol' me," I reasoned. He just stood there. "Oh, good morning Mr. Collins!" I yelled cheerily. Noah whipped around and I took the opportunity to run past him. I tumbled into class and slid into the seat next to Nic just as the bell rang. The teacher stared at me for a moment before shaking her head and starting the lesson.

"You look like hell," Nic commented out of the corner of his mouth.

"Why thank you, Noo Noo, you don't look to shabby yourself there," I snapped back. He grinned.

"Guys, you're making me just a tad uncomfortable," I said, squirming a little under the unrelenting stares of both Nic and Cal. They glanced at each other.

"So tell us again. You met this guy when you were looking for your pup. He followed you home, proceeded to mouth rape you, and then had the nerve to come back the next day?" Nic asked in disbelief. I nodded, shifting in seat.

"I find it romantic," Cal sighed, scribbling notes in her spiral. Nic looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"Women," he grunted, shaking his head. "Come on, this guy thinks he can take advantage of you like that and do as he pleases? And you _like_ him?"

I shrugged.

"He's sexy."

"Oh, of course that's a reason to fall for some pig like that."

"Cal is sexy."

"Yeah, she is, but that's still…I mean, what are you talking about, she's my good friend! You naughty pervert," Nic covered quickly, wagging his finger at me.

"What?" Cal piped up, blushing furiously.

"Nothing, dear," I smiled. She glanced around suspiciously before going back to work. Nicky glared at me for a few moments, then glanced at Cal. She whipped her head up to look at me suddenly, making him jump. I held back a snort, biting my lip.

"Describe him for me," she ordered. Uh oh. She had that crazy look in her eye. The crazy look she tells me I get when I see muscles and have the urge to draw them. Except she's wanting juicy details to put into her stories. I find my weird urge more productive and sensible than hers, but that's just me.

"Ah, well. Tall, dark, and handsome," I grinned. She huffed. "Fine, fine. He's around six foot seven—"

"Cor!" Nic interrupted, nearly snorting milk out of his nose. I rolled my eyes.

"He has dark brown eyes, but they kind of have a hint of gold to them. Kind of like caramel swirled chocolate. Dark chocolate at that. His eyes are quite beautiful really," I rambled, drool sliding out of the corner of my mouth. She nodded.

"Keep going. How is his hair? Skin? Body?"

"GUH," I groaned. "His body is like sweet heavenly man beef. Ever seen an eight pack? Because I sure have." Cal's eyes widened, and she scribbled down some more notes as I continued. "His hair is really nice. Black, thick, a little wavy—"

"Please tell me you're talking about the hair on his head," Nic smirked. I swatted his arm and glared at him.

"Of course! What kind of girl do you take me for, Noo?" I hissed. He held his hands up in defense and chuckled. "As I was saying before _someone_ so _rudely_ interrupted. His hair is good, it spikes up a little everywhere. I don't think he uses gel though."

"Ooo," Cal cooed. Nic rolled his eyes.

"This guy is starting to sound more like Big Foot every second," he said, clearly annoyed that Cal was as enthralled by Paul's appearance as I was.

"Did you kiss him?" Cal asked, big brown eyes wide in question. I looked up at the ceiling innocently and she squealed.

"Give me details!"

I grinned, more than happy to humor her. Nic groaned and grabbed his tray, probably heading off to the library to escape our girl talk.

"Well, the first time I kissed him—"

"You've done it more than once?" she squawked.

"Hey, the first time didn't count because he mouth raped me," I said defensively.

"But you liked it," she winked.

"So?" I chuckled.

I quickly related to her what happened the night before, leaving out the part about seeing a giant wolf in the woods. I just told her I got spooked and started running, and he caught me.

"What on earth was he doing out in the woods at four in the morning?" she questioned thoughtfully. I tapped my chin.

"I don't know, I forgot to ask."

She shook her head at me and smiled.

Nic glowered at me for the rest of the day, except for when Cal was around because he only had eyes for her. I waved goodbye to them and started off down the sidewalk after school. The sky was steely gray, and the wind kept blowing my hair into my eyes. I sputtered and wiped it away before walking, once more, into a tree in the middle of the sidewalk. This tree was not so welcome though.

"Where are you going?" Noah asked, his voice deep and threatening. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Home, where you should be going too," I answered. He snorted and walked forward until he was toe to toe with me. I stood my ground, hands already balled into fists in case things got a little dirty.

"You never did tell me who that guy was," he said.

"I never intended to," I challenged. "I'm really confused as to why you care."

"I don't," he smiled, straightening up. I followed him with my eyes as he walked around me. He snatched my toboggan off and waved it in the air. I froze.

"Noah, give it back," I ordered. He cocked an eyebrow at me and looked at it for a minute. Rain drops started falling on my now bare head.

"Why do you always wear this? It's September, it's not even cold yet," he grinned.

"It's none of your business, jerk wad," I snarled, reaching for my beloved hat. He grinned and held it up over his head.

"Come and get it if you want it so bad," he smirked. I glared at him and tried to punch him in the stomach, but he dodged it, still wearing the stupid smirk on his lips. I lunged for it again, squawking as he wrapped an arm around my waist with an iron grip and pulled me to him.

His lips crashed onto mine, dark blue eyes laughing as I struggled to get free. He bit my lip, hard, and pushed me back, then threw my hat into a nearby puddle.

"Bitch," he hissed, before turning around and walking away.

I glanced at my soaking hat and then back to him, anger flooding through my body like wildfire. My lip was bleeding where he had bitten me. I snatched my hat out of the puddle, wrung it out, then jammed it back on my head as I stomped off after him.

"You sniveling, repulsive, abominable rotting snake!" I screamed, lunging at him. He didn't look surprised that I was coming after him, but he did look surprised at the huge man beside me who was holding me back. Paul leaned down to my ear, his voice a deadly low whisper as he glared at Noah.

"Let me take care of this, baby," he growled.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I've taken so long to update, and sorry this is so short! I've been swamped with assignments and haven't had time to do anything. I've been avoiding homework so I could finish the epilogue to Melt last night and this chapter today. Aigoo. -falls over-I have no life until December. T_T  
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**SaaamForLife: "Paul is on the prowl,reooow!" LOL. I died laughing! XD **

**Yung Mula: I like your enthusiasm over Paul possibly violently murdering Noah. XD **

**As always, no I do not own anything Twilight related. **

**Please review! It makes me dance happily! :D  
**

**Oh! I went to the dollar store the other day and found a hat like May's! I was so excited. It's only missed the giant pom on top, but when I get a color match I'll make on for it meself. :D I was attempting to knit one, but I made it to big. DX I fail at knitting. T_T Anywho, enjoy! :D  
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**Chapter 4 **

"Let me take care of this, baby," Paul growled, standing up to his full height.

Noah's wide blue eyes were trained fully on Paul, who understandably looked like the biggest threat to him.

Wrong.

I grabbed Paul's hand and drug him behind me on the sidewalk as Noah lay out cold on the pavement, blood pooling on the concrete from his nose.

"I hope that bastard has a broken nose. I hope his nose fragments went into his brain!" I yelled through gritted teeth. Paul let me drag him along until we turned the corner, then he stopped suddenly and nearly yanked my arm out of its socket.

"What was that?" he asked in disbelief.

"I punched that little sucker, that's what it was!" I yelled, stomping off down the sidewalk again, still fuming. He caught up and stood in front of me, bending down with his hands on my shoulders so he could look me in the eye.

"You just knocked a guy twice your size out cold," he grinned, his eyes sparkling.

Did he not see it with his own eyes or what? Was he blind? Not wearing his glasses? Did he have ADD and suddenly a squirrel with a metallic backpack strapped to his furry little shoulders ran by?

"You're amazing," he chuckled, pulling me into a hug. I blinked and all my anger melted away. Paul's arms were wrapped tight around me, his body shaking from his laughter. His laughter was deep and quiet, like he hadn't done it in a while. It was contagious nonetheless.

We somehow ended up on the sidewalk gasping for air. My ribs were killing me, and I swear I grew an instant six pack from all the laughing. It finally grew quiet enough where the only sound was our labored breathing. I glanced over at Paul, biting my lip to hold it back, but it was no use. His face cracked into a smile and soon we were off again, looking like a couple of loonies laughing mindlessly on the sidewalk.

"Oh gosh, haha, Paul I have to get home! Hahaha!" I giggled, pushing off of his shoulder so I could stand myself up. He grabbed my arm and flipped me over his shoulder, still chuckling every now and then.

"Hey where are we going?" I asked, beating against his well rounded bottom (hehe! What, can you blame me?). I yelped as he grabbed my ankles and hung me off the ground. He smirked as I struggled to beat against his leg.

"Nice bra there, Pancake," he commented wryly.

"Nice package, Tiny," I shot back, nodding at his gloriously tight pants. He scowled and released me, making me tumble down onto my head. "Jerk!" I hissed as he walked away. He turned around and crossed his arms.

"Well, I WAS going to take you to a bonfire with me tonight but if you're going to be like that—"

"Hey, you started it first, petit homme," I grumbled. He narrowed his eyes and stomped back to me, snatching my wrist up. He got extremely close to my face, making me swoon like a Southern bell.

"Oh Rhett!" I cried dramatically, pushing him away a little in an attempt to hide my blush. He didn't budge, just kept his eyes trained on mine. Sweet Antonio Banderas, have I mentioned how intense his eyes are? I tried to glare back at him, but his piercing, humorless gaze was making me squirm uncomfortably. His face was deadly serious, the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. The longer he stared at me, the less I was able to breathe, my heart thumping sporadically in my chest. The heat from his skin radiated off of him and caressed my face ever so gently, making my cheeks feel even warmer. He smelled like a mixture of gasoline, wood smoke, and sun. AKA hot.

My eyes widened and I started backing up as he stalked closer, his movements stealthy and smooth like a wolf on the prowl. I 'oof'-ed as my back hit the wall of a brick building. Paul continued stalking closer until he was flush against me, standing at his full height. His eyes were dark, mouth turned up into a slight smirk.

"What are you going to do, hm?" he asked, his voice deep and husky. His hands were on either side of my head, his body keeping me from escaping. I flushed to the tips of my toes from his close proximity. I could feel every muscle, taught and powerful, his heat intoxicating. He cocked his head to the side, still looking at me with an amused expression.

"I'm not scared of you, Paul," I said firmly, staring back at him.

"Hm? Really now," he replied, cupping a hand behind my neck. I continued glaring back at him, trying not to let his fierce gaze melt me into a puddle. He leaned in closer, his eyes flickering down to my lips. I braced myself against the wall and squeezed my eyes shut as Paul's feverish lips pressed against mine. He pushed my mouth open with his lips and snaked his warm tongue into my mouth, gently tasting my mouth. He pulled back suddenly and hissed, then took a closer look at my lip.

"Blood? Did he do this? I saw him kiss you but I didn't know…I'm going to kill him. He's so dead," he growled, whipping around to stomp back down the sidewalk. It took a moment for me to get my brain working again, but I quickly took off after him and grabbed his arm. He was trembling, his nostrils flared angrily as he glared at the air in front of him.

"Hey, calm down! You don't need to kill anyone," I reasoned, tugging on his sleeve.

"What, did you like it?" he asked, his head snapping in my direction.

"What?" I gawked, taken aback. He turned his body to face me, crossing his arms.

"You like him don't you?"

I probably looked like a slack jawed idiot as I stared at him in confusion.

"Did you not just witness me breaking his nose?" I asked.

"Oh yeah," he mumbled, deflating. He scowled at the ground, hands in his pockets. I rolled my eyes and linked arms with him, pulling him back the opposite direction. We walked in silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company. Well, I was enjoying his warmth, I don't know about him. He could have been enjoying the cloudy sky, or the wind, or possibly even—

"So, you still want to go to the bonfire with me?" he asked suddenly, glancing sideways at me.

"Who's going to be there?" I asked. He shrugged, smiling.

"I thought it could be just the two of us. Get to know each other better and stuff," he said quietly.

What happened to the raging beast that was here just a few minutes ago? Who was this sweet, shy, adorable guy? Oi vey. He has more mood swings than a PMSing woman.

"Okay. Sounds fun," I agreed.

"Great!" He grinned happily at me, then widened his eyes. "I mean…cool. Pick you up at seven?"

I agreed and we continued walking, slowly making our way to my house. The sun was beginning to peek through the clouds, creating patches of light on the ground. I snuck glances at Paul, who was smiling softly. The wind blew, ruffling his hair, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The smile never left his face, making him look like an excited kid at Disney World.

He was beautiful.

We made it back to my house and I reluctantly let go of his arm. I waved at him and turned to walk up the steps. He grabbed my arm. I looked at him in question.

"Have you taken back your take back yet?" he asked, a hopeful grin gracing his thin lips.

"I'm thinking about it," I teased. He looked crestfallen.

"What can I do to make you like me?" he pouted cutely. I thought for a moment, tapping my chin, then came up with an idea.

"Tell me one thing you're most afraid of," I said.

"The dark," he replied simply. I gaped at him. Was he blushing? He rubbed his arm uncomfortably and glanced up at me, then scowled at the ground as his face reddened even more. "How will that make you like me more?"

I shook my head to get rid of the shock and grinned.

"It makes you seem a little less scary. I like you opening up to me," I smiled. He bit his lip, then glanced at me.

"Well what are you afraid of?" he asked.

"Definitely not the dark," I grinned, walking up the steps. "Baby."

"Wha? I'm not a baby!" he sputtered.

"I'm just kidding. I hate the dark too," I sighed, smiling unsurely at him. He walked up the steps and took my hand, looking me deep in the eyes.

"You don't have to be afraid of anything. I'll protect you," he said confidently.

"How can you protect me if you're just as scared as I am?" I joked. He shook his head, pulling me into a warm hug.

"It's easy if it's you I'm protecting. You bring out the beast in me," he mumbled.

I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. Somehow, I knew that he was right.

"What if it's you I need protecting from?" I mumbled into his shirt. He sighed and pulled back, pressing his lips against mine. I closed my eyes, relishing the feeling of his warm, soft lips. He stroked my cheek with his thumb, his gentleness making me weak in the knees. He pulled back and pressed his lips to my forehead, then looked me in the eye.

"I may be a jerk and a hot head," he said quietly, "but I will never, ever hurt you. You can trust me on that."

I did.

I waved goodbye to Paul out the window and watched him walk down the street, shoulders hunched up against the chilly wind. I turned and sighed, resting against the wood paneling. Mo was snoring softly on couch, a blanket thrown haphazardly over her, probably by Jane. I kicked off my muddy shoes and trudged upstairs to find my sister.

She was lying on her bed, coloring in her Princess and the Frog coloring book, her blonde curls splayed around her shoulders. Spud was lying on the floor in front her. Her tail thumped happily when I walked in.

"Hey sissy," I said, sitting on the bed beside her.

"May May!" she cried, holding up a purple crayon. "Color with me?"

I chuckled and nodded, and she scooted over. I picked a page with a fat, smiling alligator and started coloring alongside her.

"May May, alligators aren't purple," she said. "I think."

I chuckled at our little inside joke. Her nickname for me, "May May," sounded like the Mandarin phrase for little sister.

"No, they aren't purple. But who says we have to color them green?" I asked, bumping her shoulder. She stuck her bottom lip out and stared at her page for a moment.

"Well then I'm going to make Tiana frog blue!" she exclaimed. We giggled and continued coloring for a while, until I nearly stabbed my eye out when I fell asleep on top of my paper.

"Oh, oops," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. Jane giggled and pushed her coloring book off, then snuggled up next to me.

"Nap?" she asked. I nodded in agreement and she grabbed Mr. Bear from his place on top of her pillow. She petted his sparkling wings lovingly, then sighed. "Do you think Mommy and Daddy miss us?" she asked. I tensed, my heart dropping inside my chest.

"I know they miss us as much as we miss them," I replied, tucking a curl behind her ear. She nodded, her blue eyes sad. "They're watching us from Heaven, making sure we don't get into any trouble."

Spud poked her head up, whining as she licked Jane's forehead. Jane giggled and patted her golden head.

"Will you tell me about them?" she asked. I nodded, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders and kissing her forehead before I began.

"Mommy was very pretty. She looked a lot like you," I grinned. Jane smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Daddy always said Mommy was the prettiest lady he had ever seen. He tried to ask her out on dates many, many times, but she always refused. 'You're too much,' she would say, because Daddy would sit outside her house with his guitar singing the blues."

"I remember Daddy's singing the best," Jane commented. I nodded, the ghost of a deep, cheerful voice floating through my head.

"Well, finally Mom said yes one day. Daddy wanted to take her to a fancy restaurant, but she grabbed his car keys and pulled into a swing dance club," I chuckled, remembering my mother's lively nature.

"Mommy was the best dancer in the whole state, right?" Jane asked.

"Yes ma'm! Daddy couldn't keep up with her, but he sure as heck tried to."

"And Mommy fell in love with him," Jane sighed happily, hugging her bear close. Her blue eyes flashed up to me and she smiled innocently. "Do you love Paul like Mommy loved Daddy?"

Her question came as a bit of shock, to be honest. I started to get angry at first, then remembered that she was only five and was probably just asking out of curiosity. I sighed.

"Paul is just my friend, silly," I smiled. She frowned.

"Daddy said you know someone loves you when they have stars in their eyes every time they look at you. Paul has starry eyes," she said.

"What? How do you know that?" I asked, blushing. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest. I inwardly yelled at it to calm down, but of course it didn't listen. Just the mention of "Paul" and "love" in the same sentence had set it off.

"When he looks at you his face gets all goopy and happy," Jane giggled, obviously pleased with my reaction.

"Yeah, well Mom said to stay away from the dark and handsome ones. Dark and angry is more like it," I mumbled.

"But!"

"Let's just go to sleep, Jane," I said bluntly. She frowned but nodded, still looking at me. I sighed and closed my eyes, falling into dreams full of angels and demons.

I woke up a little while later to Spud licking my hand. I squinted in the dim light and sat up, rubbing my pounding head. Spud whined and turned around in a circle, nudging my hand.

"If you have to go potty you know there's a doggy door," I mumbled. She whined again. I glanced at the clock and jumped. "Holy crap it's six thirty!" I whisper shouted. Spud thumped her tail as if saying, "Duh!" and trotted out of the room. I walked out of Jane's room quietly so that I didn't wake her up, then ran into my room and flicked on the light, wincing at the sudden brightness. I threw open my closet door and stared for a moment, then ran downstairs. Mo was in the kitchen making dinner, as it was her night off.

"Mo, what do you wear on a date?" I asked suddenly. She dropped the spatula and grilled cheese onto the floor and gawked at me.

"You're going on a date? Since when? With who? On a Monday?" she asked.

"Since seven o' clock and with Paul! Quick, I don't know what to do!" I pleaded. She smiled and shook her head, turning the stove off before heading upstairs with me. She dug through my clothes as I looked over her shoulder anxiously.

"You're going to the beach, right? What about this?" she asked, pulling out a multicolored fish patterned dress I had bought from a thrift store.

"Good idea!" I shouted, snatching the dress from her.

"I was only kidding," she chuckled. I waved her away and shrugged my clothes off, yanking the dress on over my head.

"Zip me, partner!" I said. Mo zipped the back of the dress and handed me a blue cardigan to put on over it. I shoved my feet into a pair of silver sandals, then looked for my hat.

"You are not wearing that on a date," Mo grunted, crossing her arms.

"But—"

"No buts. If you want something of your mother's to wear, I have a necklace you can borrow," she chuckled. She left and returned a few moments later with a necklace made of sea shell fragments. She clasped it around my neck, then watched, amused, as I attempted to drag a brush through my wildly knotted hair. She rolled her eyes and took the brush from me, carefully working out the knots before clipping my favorite sparkly moon pin in my hair.

"There. What do you think?" she asked. I glanced in the mirror and nodded my approval, nearly jumping out of my skin when the doorbell rang. I gave Mo a quick hug before racing down the stairs and tearing the door open, out of breath. "Be back by ten!" Mo shouted from upstairs.

"Hi Paul!" I said quickly. He looked surprised to see the door open so fast.

"Hey. You ready?" he asked, still gawking at me.

"Si!" I said, pushing him back so I could close the door behind me. He caught my chin and tipped it up until I was face to face with him.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, stars swirling in his dark brown eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I'm in a bit of a rush but I wanted to get this out today! Sorry if there are any mistakes, I haven't had the chance to read back over it, but I will when I have time (probably tomorrow). **

**Songs: Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughn, Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace, respectively  
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**Chapter 5**

Paul opened the passenger door for me, handing me in like gentlemen did to ladies in carriage days. I smiled at him, my eyes following him as he made his way around the vehicle. His gaze never left mine.

He got into the driver's side and shut the door, his eyes floating up to look at me. A gentle smile caressed his beautiful lips, and his eyes were so soft. I found myself leaning in, drawn by the mesmerizing darkness of his chocolate eyes. I winced as the porch light suddenly came on and Mo peeked through the glass in the door. I coughed and backed away, shielding my blushing face with a curtain of hair. He chuckled and started the truck.

Warmth tingled up my arm as Paul's hand slowly slid over mine, enclosing it in a heated embrace. I glanced over at him as he started driving, a happy smile gracing his lips. I surreptitiously scooted over, inch by inch until I was right next to him.

"Hi Paul," I smiled innocently, leaning onto his shoulder. He snorted and wrapped his arm around me, gently squeezing me against him.

"You ready for the most romantic date of your entire life?" he teased, glancing down at me.

"I will be greatly offended if it is not," I shot back. He grinned. A familiar tune came on the radio and I shrieked, making Paul swerve into the other lane a little bit.

"What the?"

"It's my song! Well, my Daddy's song," I said gleefully, bouncing as I turned up the radio.

_**Well you've heard about love givin' sight to the blind  
My baby's lovin' cause the sun to shine  
She's my sweet little thang...she's my pride and joy  
She's my sweet little baby...I'm her little lover boy**_

I sung along, drumming my fingers against my knee to the rhythm.

"Your dad sings this?" Paul asked, confused.

"No, silly! But it was his favorite song. He played guitar and would sing this to his girls," I replied. "Come on, Paul, sing with me!"

"I…don't sing," he mumbled, keeping his eyes on the road. I poked him in the ribs and he yelped. "I mean, I don't sing in front of strangers."

"I'm a stranger? After all we've been through? I'm crushed!" I gasped, putting my hand to my chest. He chuckled and shook his head. I scowled at him, then continued singing along while drumming on my knees. Paul would glance at me every now and then, an amused look on his face. He was quiet as I sang until we reached the beach. He let me finish my song, then turned the truck off.

A bright fire was flickering a little ways down the beach. I think I my brain was playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn I saw somebody scuttling away into the dark forest. I shook my head and wrote it off as my craziness acting up.

"You ready?" Paul asked. I nodded and he scooted out of the truck. I got out and he caught my hand, giving me a quick smile before leading me down onto the sand. I kicked my sandals off and continued walking alongside Paul.

I couldn't help but giggle when we reached the fire.

A blanket had been spread out on the sand, a thermos and cooler sitting snugly on top of it. Paul led me over to the blanket and sat me down with a big grin on his face.

"First," he said, grabbing the cooler, "appetizers."

He pulled out several packages of hot dogs and buns and plopped down next to me. He handed me a skewer and we roasted hotdogs in relative silence.

"So…when you were talking about your dad, you said was? What happened? If it's okay for me to ask," he finished quickly. I shrugged, but the familiar emptiness was beginning to crawl back.

"He and my mom were coming home from a party one night, two years ago. It was storming, raining really hard, and dark. Dad didn't see the water until it was too late," I mumbled numbly. Paul slipped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close, cradling me against his side.

"I'm sorry that happened to them," he said softly. I sniffed and nodded.

"S'okay."

He cursed as he realized his hot dog was burnt black and quickly pulled out, then hissed when he tried to pull it off while it was still red hot. He yelped and threw it fifty yards, making me laugh so hard it hurt. He licked his hand, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye as I was laughing like a loon.

"I'm happy my pain is so delightful t you," he chuckled. "Kiss it and make it better?" he asked innocently, holding his hand out to me.

"Not after you've gotten your spit all over it," I laughed, peering at his hand. "Looks okay to me."

"But it's not. I need you to make it better," he pouted.

"What? No! GAH! PAUL! NOOO!" I wailed as he wiped his slobbery hand all over my face. When he finally released me, I smacked his arm. "That's gross!" He winked and stuck another hot dog on his skewer. I tried to rub my face against his sleeve and he held my head away.

"Nope! I don't want it back, it's yours!" he laughed. I shoved into him and we fell over, to which I took the opportunity to quickly wipe my face on his flannel shirt.

"Too late," I smiled. He glowered at me, then smirked.

"Throwing me down already? I'm scared for my virginity," he teased. I rolled my eyes. "What? Don't believe me?"

"Please, a guy like you?" I scoffed and sat up. I scowled at the ground, a teeny tiny part of me being jealous.

"What do you mean, a guy like me?" Paul asked, his voice deep and husky in my ear. I pushed him away.

"That!"

"What?"

"You've got the sexy voice and the sexy body. The sexy eyes. Heck, you've gotten sex written all over you!" I shouted. Oops, lost my temper a little. He looked dumbfounded for a minute before he burst into laughter. I wrapped my arms around my knees and glared into the fire. When he finally got himself under control, he snuggled up beside me and engulfed me in his arms like an amoeba.

"Jealous, baby?" he teased, nuzzling my cheek with his nose.

"Absolutely not," I said flatly, still glaring at the fire. He chuckled.

"Looks are deceiving, hun," he reasoned. I shrugged. He kissed my cheek and sighed.

"If it makes you feel any better, my dad is dead too," he mumbled, resting his cheek against my head.

"Oh. I'm sorry," I replied automatically. Stupid. Sorry is never good enough. But what else can you say?

I looked up at him, leaning into him a little more. He smiled sadly.

"He was a bastard. I don't miss him one bit. He would drink until he lost his mind, then would take out all of his problems on us. He never hit Mom, I would have killed him if he did," he growled.

"Did he hit you?" I asked, a feeling of dread flooding through me. Paul looked off into the distance, then nodded. I turned around to face him, taking his hands. He sniffed then looked back up at me. The pain and anger was in his eyes again, all traces of softness gone. His gaze was so intense, but I didn't dare to look away. I wanted him to know that I was listening.

"He would…he'd come home drunk late at night, wake the whole neighborhood up with his shouting. He would go straight for my room and drag me out of bed by the hair, tell me how stupid I was and all I did was cause problems. Problems for him, problems for Mom, problems for my teachers. Mom would scream at him and beg him to stop, say that I was his only son. She would have to fling herself in front me to keep him from beating me to death. He would never touch her, just me," he sighed, eyes flickering to the sand.

"He died when I was seven. Idiot decided to drive home drunk one night. Hit another guy head on, killed them both," he sniffed. "The other guy was Ina's dad."

"What?" I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. I had only met the girl once, but she seemed so nice. I couldn't imagine someone like her losing someone so close.

Paul nodded, gaze flickering back up to me.

"She never knew it my dad that killed him. Her mom just said he got hit by a drunk driver, and that was that. Of course, she probably figured it out once she got old enough. I think a small part of her still hates me for it," he mumbled. I shook my head, squeezing his hands firmly.

"Paul, I can tell she doesn't hate you. Did you see her trying to negotiate with me over you? Of course you had to open your big mouth and ask me out straightforward," I giggled. He grinned.

"Yeah, I guess."

He shrugged.

My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

"I think it wants to eat me," Paul joked. I shoved him playfully and we got back to roasting hot dogs, chatting about school and friends. I learned he spent most of the time with his group of friends, who he called "the pack." Of course he wouldn't admit it, being all macho man and all, but I could tell that he loved them a lot. I told him about Nic and Cal, and how the whole Noah versus me war got started.

"It all began in eighth grade. I was sitting at lunch, minding my own sandwich, when he just stalks up to me like he owns the place—kinda like you," I grinned. Paul rolled his eyes.

"I'm much better, obviously. You said yes," he smiled. I shrugged, handing him a hot dog bun. He eagerly stuffed it into his mouth and waited for me to continue.

"So he walks up, all pompous and such, and hikes his leg up on my table like Captain Morgan or something. Then he looks me in the eye, smiles, and says, 'wanna go out with me?' I told him no and he's hated me ever since. Of course the whole school was watching him. He had made a bet with a friend of his that he could get any girl he wanted," I said, a slight edge to my voice.

Paul gulped his hotdog and said, "What a jackass."

"Yep," I replied. He tried to hand me another hot dog. I shook my head vigorously, my stomach was already to the point of explosion.

"Just one more!"

"Paul, I've had six! I'm stuffed," I groaned, flopping back onto the blanket. He shrugged and stuffed it into his mouth. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of the fire warming my toes. The wood cracked and popped as it was consumed, releasing a sweet, smoky aroma into the air. I breathed it in, letting the air completely fill my lungs before letting it out and sighing.

"Ready for the main course?" Paul asked. I cracked one eye open and looked at him like he had grown two heads.

"Was that not the main course?" I asked incredulously.

"Nope," he grinned, pulling out a giant chocolate bar, graham crackers, and marshmallows. I immediately sat up, drooling at the prospect of s'mores.

"I like the way you think!" I cried, reaching for the chocolate. He pushed my hand away and smiled.

"I thought you were stuffed?"

"There's always room for desert, honey," I said, smiling sweetly while trying to sneak the package out of his hand. He pulled it away and grinned.

"Uh uh. You have to try one of mine first. The whole pack will tell you they're the best," he smirked. I sighed heavily while he toasted marshmallows and stuck them with the chocolate and crackers. He held his hand out to me.

"Say 'ah,'" he said.

"I can feed myself, silly," I replied.

"Just do it," he grinned. I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth as he gingerly placed the s'more inside. I bit off a chunk and he pulled it away and shoved the rest into his mouth, laughing when a string of marshmallow slapped my chin. I waved at him to be quiet and tried to get it off, greatly irked when he started laughing at me more.

"Shutup! It's your fault!" I giggled, shoving him over.

"Oh, you missed a spot," he said, pointing to my face.

"Where?" I asked, wiping at it.

"Here," he said, suddenly leaning in and capturing my lips between his own. It took me by surprise, to say the least. His lips were warm and sweet, soft against my mouth. He rolled my bottom lip in between the two of his and pulled back, licking his lips.

"Yum."

"Jerk," I hissed, scowling at him as I blushed profusely. I let my eyes flicker up to his and grinned, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him in. Just before my lips touched his I stopped, smiling. His eyes were half lidded, his lips parted in anticipation. He leaned in and tried to kiss me but I pulled back slightly.

"What do you want? Hm?" I giggled, rubbing my nose against his. He tried again and I turned my head so that he got my cheek. I turned back to him, running my hand down his chest as I got even closer, our breath mingling in the space between us. He was panting lightly, his eyes glaring at me from under dark lashes.

"Messing with me, huh?" he whispered, his chest vibrating from the octave of his voice. I smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied. His hands snaked around my waist, his lips going to my ear.

"Two can play that game, baby," he growled, nipping at my earlobe. I shivered as his teeth nipped at the edge of my jaw, his tongue lapping at my skin like it was sweet honey. He pulled a bit of skin between his teeth and sucked, making me gasp.

"Ok-kay, I lose!" I mumbled, pushing him back. He smirked.

"That's what I thought," he grinned.

"I'll get you back some day," I growled, shaking my fist at him.

"Are you implying that we have a future?" he asked, a big smile on his face.

"Possibly."

"I can deal with that."

We quickly finished up the rest of the chocolate, then I helped Paul pack up the stuff into his truck. We slid into the seat, me snuggled into his side. I had to admit, he was pretty okay. Fine, more than okay. Okay, he was freaking awesome, is that better for you? Don't look at me like that, young lady.

"Am I still a stranger?" I asked, glancing up at Paul as the truck roared to life. He shrugged.

"If you can find a song I like, I'll sing it with you," he sighed. I squealed and flipped through the stations, watching him to see if he had any positive reaction to any of the songs.

_**I can't escape this hell**_

_**So many times I've tried**_

_**But I'm still caged inside**_

_**Somebody get me through this nightmare**_

_**I can't control myself!**_

I giggled as Paul started singing, his raspy voice echoing throughout the cab of the truck. He slapped his hand on the steering wheel along with the bass drum, grinning at me as I started singing with him. Of course, my high pitched girly voice sounded kind of silly, but we attempted to harmonize a little. We were both in tears from laughing so much by the time we turned onto my street.

"Stop here!" I gasped, holding my aching side. He quickly pressed on the break, causing us to jerk forward, which only made us laugh more. "P-Paul stop! It hurts!" I shrieked, leaning my head on his back. He was bent over the steering wheel, his entire body shaking from his bellowing laughter. I gently beat against his back with my fist and attempted to breathe a little, but only ended up in another fit of giggles as Paul imitated my horrible strangled attempt at the whisper scream "this animal" part. I shoved his shoulder and we fell against the door, still laughing like loons on laughing gas. I crawled onto his lap and put a finger to his lips, trying to shush him and myself at the same time. His eyes were watering and his cheeks were rosy, a big grin still plastered on his face. I leaned in and kissed him gently, my hands on both sides of his face.

"Mmm," he smirked. "What was that for?"

"I wanted to kiss you before we got in front of my house. Mo is probably cleaning her gun," I giggled.

"For real? She's one scary woman," Paul chuckled, rubbing my cheek with the pad of his thumb. He pulled my other leg over him so that I was straddling his lap and leaned up, turning his head to the right slightly. I smiled and leaned down to meet him as his hands slid down to my waist. The kiss was soft, tasting lightly of chocolate and sweet graham crackers. My lips tingled as Paul's warmth spread throughout my body, making feel as if I were suspended in mid air. Time slowed to a stop, the only thing keeping me grounded was Paul's gentle hands on my waist.

I kept my eyes closed as he pulled away and sighed, relishing in the feeling of love.

Wait, love?

My eyes fluttered open as Paul's fingers tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. A soft smile graced his lips, the corners tugging up even further as I kissed his palm.

"Come on, we'd better get you home. I'd like to not be covered in buckshot when I go to school tomorrow," he chuckled. I kissed his forehead, then gave him a long hug before scuttling into the seat opposite of him. He reached his hand out and I took it. He squeezed it lightly as we continued up the road.

True to my word, Mo was sitting on the porch surrounded by the wide array of guns in her possession. We pulled up at exactly ten o' clock. I looked at Paul and squeezed his big, warm hand.

"Thank you for tonight, Paul. I had a lot of fun," I smiled. His eyes lit up as he grinned, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Me too. Thanks for coming," he chuckled. I took a quick peek at Mo before leaning over to kiss his cheek, letting my lips linger for a moment on his smooth skin. He gripped my hand and looked longingly at me as I opened the door and slipped a leg out.

"See you later?" I asked unsurely.

"Definitely," he nodded. I squeezed his hand once more before floating up to the front porch.

"How are you?" Paul asked, smiling at Mo. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Good, yourself?" she replied. He smiled.

"Very well, thank you. Well, I'll see you around. Goodbye, May," he said, winking at me before starting off down the road. Mo chuckled and looked up at me.

"I like him. All the other ones run off like scared little rabbits. He's got balls," she grunted. I laughed and held the door open for her as she carried Danric, Scarlett, Ludivico, and Dorian Gray inside the house. Yes, her guns are named after fictional people.

"Danric is looking especially shiny today," I commented, nodding at the rifle in her right hand. She grinned.

"I only got him and Scarlett finished before you guys pulled up. You're lucky though. If I had gotten to Ludivico, you would have been in big trouble," she smirked. I shrugged.

After helping Mo with her metal army, I went upstairs and undressed, then flopped onto my bed. Spud trotted up after me, a big smile on her face as she panted. She sniffed me curiously and whined.

"What? You smell Paul?" I chuckled. She whined again at the mention of his name. "Oh, you big baby. Up up!" I said, patting the bed. She jumped up and snuggled in beside me, her big brown eyes closing as I stroked her silky fur. I rested my cheek against her side and closed my eyes. Paul's face shot up in my mind and I grinned.

"Thank you, girl. I never would have met him if you hadn't run away," I smiled. She licked my hand, then we settled in for a restful sleep.

"No homework again, Miss Jameson?" Mrs. Humble asked.

"Sorry Mrs. Humble," I shrugged.

"UM-ble," she corrected. I rolled my eyes as she walked away. Humble, Umble, whatever, same difference. Nic prodded me in the back with his pencil.

"What happened to Caldwell?" he whispered. I glanced over at Noah, smirking as he caught my eye and quickly looked away.

"How would I know?" I whispered back.

"I know you better than that. I have an inkling that you had something to do with it," Nic chuckled. I looked up at the ceiling innocently and he threw a paper wad at my head.

At lunch I rambled to my best friends about my date with Paul, leaving out the kissy bits so Nic could manage to eat without feeling like hurling. Cal squealed, as expected, and Nic just kept his eyes on his chicken sandwich.

"Women," he mumbled again, stealing a glance at Cal.

When I got home, Mo had left a note on the table.

_Hey brat, your boyfriend called. His number is on the ID. Love ya, Mo. _

I chuckled and checked the answering machine, trying to prevent my knees from buckling as Paul's deep, sexy voice started speaking.

"_Uh, hey May. It's Paul. Duh. I know it's kind of soon, but I was wondering if you would want to go out again on Saturday? To like, the movies or something? Just let me know what you think. Lov—I mean, bye." Click. _

The answering machine beeped and I squealed, dancing in place for a moment before calling Cal.

"Cal! You and Nic have to come over Saturday! I have another date!" I squealed before she could say anything. She giggled and agreed to call Nic for me, then we hung up. I called Paul back on the number that he had given me. He answered on the first ring.

"Hello?" he said, his voice sounding breathless. Oh good gooey gumdrops, his voice was so sexy. I stood there stupidly as he repeated himself, a string of drool sliding out of the corner of my mouth.

"May? May? Hello? Are you okay? Do I need to come over?" he asked worriedly. I smacked myself to bring myself out of my stupor and answered back.

"Uh, yeah, sorry. About Saturday—"

"Is it a yes?" he asked, sounding excited. I chuckled and gave the affirmative.

"Sweet! What would you like to do?" he asked. I thought for a moment before grinning wildly.

"It's a surprise," I whispered.

"Okay…what time should I pick you up?"

"Ummm. How about seven again?"

"Great! I'll see you then!"

We said our goodbyes and hung up. I danced in place for a few more moments before racing upstairs to find Jane.

"Ugh. Why am I here again?" Nic asked boredly. He was lying on my bed with Spud watching as Cal and I tried to pick out a suitable outfit.

"Because you are a guy and I need your input," I answered, smiling sweetly. He rolled his eyes, then stood up, stretching.

"Well, while you guys finish up, I'm going to get me a milkshake," he grunted. He tried to leave, but I grabbed his arm and hung on for dear life, giving him puppy dog eyes.

"Can we come too?" I pleaded. He sighed, waving at us to follow him.

"Alright, but we can't stay gone long. It's already six," Cal commented wisely.

"Good idea, Cal. Onward! Forth we travel into ye vast world and forsooth!" I cried. Cal and Nic eyed me strangely. I get that a lot.

We quickly piled into Nic's jeep and headed to our favorite drive-thru place. Nic got chocolate, as did I, but when Cal said she wanted vanilla Nic changed his mind.

"Traitor," I murmured out of the corner of my mouth. He grinned at me and kissed my cheek affectionately. Once we were all slurping away on our delicious milkshakes, we headed back to my house, music blaring.

"SHAKE IT LIKE A SALT SHAKER!" Nic yelled, shaking his head vigorously while I wiggled my arms like an octopus. Cal just sat in the middle laughing at us.

Nic turned a corner sharply and we all lurched into each other. Nic took the opportunity to sling one arm around Cal's shoulders.

One minute we were laughing happily, the next I was rolling down the road. I finally stopped on my side and I coughed, my ribs aching.

"Everyone okay? What was that?" I asked weakly. Nic was as white as a sheet when he noticed Cal was unconscious. I quickly checked her pulse and nodded, she was still alive. Blood trickled down her forehead, stark red against her pale skin. I crawled over and helped Nic pull Callista out, as she had been the only smart one to wear her seatbelt before flopping onto the ground. The right side of Nic's body was badly scratched from where he had skid along the pavement. My shoulder was hurting pretty badly, too.

"I think it was a horse," Nic wheezed, holding his side. He had lain Cal's head in his lap and took his shirt off to use it as a bandage. "Or a wolf."

"A wolf?" I asked, freezing. He nodded.

Legs trembling, I crawled around the other side of the jeep and looked back at the road behind us. I followed the trail of blood up the road to where a body lay. I gasped and hid back behind the jeep, covering my mouth as tears formed in my eyes.

"Oh God, we killed someone," I whispered. Nic looked appalled.

"What? No, I hit a huge furry thing! I saw it, I swear!" he said.

"Well, there's a person there now, so unless people can randomly turn into big hairy things…"

Nic's face became even whiter, his jaw dropping open. His hands trembled as he gently lay Cal on the ground, her head resting on his bundled shirt, and stood up, holding his hand out to me. I gaped momentarily at the defined muscles of his torso before grabbing his hand and allowing him to pull me up. We limped over to the side of the jeep and peeked around the front. Sure enough, the body was still lying there.

"Is it…naked?" Nic whispered, squinting in the darkness. I blushed and focused on the person's shoulder, not really wanting to see the rest.

Wait a minute.

Nic called to me as I quickly limped to the person and knelt beside them, turning their head in my direction.

He was out cold, blood trickling out of his mouth and nose, one side of his body bruised and broken and the other bloody from the pavement. I covered my mouth with my hands in an attempt to stifle my sobs, tears now pouring down my face like a waterfall. He blinked, his eyelids opening and closing several times before I could fully see the deep brown of his irises.

"May?" he called out weakly.

"P-Paul?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Heyyyy, guess who's back? :D Sorry for the long...long...LONG wait, guys. My brain has been refusing to think for the past month, so do forgive the wait! I don't know how often I can update, but I'll sincerely do my best to get at least once a week. That's not a promise though. XD I'm sorry I'm such a bad updater. T_T**

**SaaamForLife: "He's dead, isn't he?" For some reason that review cracked me up. XDXDXD Thank you for reviewing so much! I really appreciate it!**

**I don't know if this is good enough, I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things. Buuut, you can review and let me know, kthnx? :D Please enjoy and thanks for reading!**

**P.S. The author's note at the bottom will help clear up some confusion, so make sure to read it okay?  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Paul groaned and laid his head back on the asphalt, his breathing harsh and uneven.

"Paul?" I squeaked, touching his forehead with the back of my hand. He was even hotter than normal, his skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I jumped as a low growl came out of the trees behind me. Paul groaned again and I froze as hot breath snaked across my skin. I gulped, eyes widened as I turned around to face the most massive wolf I have ever seen in my entire life. It stared at me, unrelenting as its nose snarled up. It sniffed me, then growled.

"N-nice doggy," I whispered.

"Lay off, Sam, she didn't mean to," Paul said, his voice hoarse but commanding. Sam?

I squeaked as the wolf pushed me over and sniffed Paul, then barked back at the trees. A few seconds later a few more wolves poked their heads out of the forest, not quite as big as the first one, but huge nonetheless. I froze as they crowded around us, sniffing and panting. A big white one licked my arm and I jerked away.

"I d-don't taste good! And neither does he!" I yelled, flinging myself over Paul. I was not about to let some overgrown puppies eat my possible boyfriend! Upon pain of death I will valiantly fight for our lives! No beast shall quell the fervor of love that runs deep through my soul! No fang shall—

Suddenly I was picked up by the back of my shirt and moved away from Paul by a big brown wolf.

"Put me down!" I screeched, beating against its head. It yelped and dropped me, which did not help my wounds any bit. It rested a huge paw against my back to hold me down while the other wolves drew closer to Paul, their hungry mouths open and dripping with saliva.

"Get off! I will not let you eat him! I said GET OFF!" I shouted, kicking at the wolf's stomach. It yelped and glowered down at me.

The air suddenly thickened, shimmering like heat waves over a hot road. The wolves' ears perked up and they sniffed, then whipped their heads around to look behind me. I couldn't tell what they were looking at, but they were startled. Paul looked over at me, his eyes half shut. He reached his hand out to me and I could barely grasp his fingers.

"_Forladh,"_ a deep voice rang out. The air trembled with the sound, vibrating and twisting in a heated spiral around us. The wolf stepped off of me and backed away, crouching low to the ground as the voice spoke again. I turned to see Nic standing in front of the wolves, his body immersed in flaming light. Gossamer wings sprouted from his shoulder blades, his eyes glowing bright green through the darkness. The air shimmered and danced around him of its own accord, not obeying the wind that blew in our direction. His voice was smooth, lyrical as he spoke.

"_Forladh ceartair," _he said again. The wolves stepped back, whining. The air was so heavy it was hard to breathe, like a great pressure was weighing down on our heads. Nic shouted out again and the wolves turned and ran back into the forest.

I watched in awe as Nic quite literally floated over to us, his movements slow and graceful. My eyes widened as he placed his hands on my shoulders and kissed my forehead, sending searing heat throughout my body. I collapsed onto the ground, screaming as my torn skin hissed and molded together, my shoulder popping back into place. Nic held my hand, petting my forehead soothingly as I writhed on the concrete. His face was sorrowful, his acidic eyes bearing down on me until my body finally stopped shaking and I lay panting. He touched my forehead again and I trembled, but this time it was a pleasant warmth that washed over me like an ocean wave.

"Noo?" I asked, my voice cracking. He put a finger to his lips and moved over to Paul. Paul looked absolutely livid as Nic touched his forehead. Tears sprouted out of the corner of my eyes as Paul screamed, his body shuddering. Nic held his hand out without looking at me, keeping his eyes on Paul's jerking body. I took it and shuffled over to kneel beside him, watching in horror as wounds turned into scabs that turned into scars then into smooth, flawless skin. The bruises that covered Paul's right side intensified, then faded to an ugly yellow before disappearing completely.

Paul lay gasping for air, looking at Nic incredulously.

"_Now you will sleep,_" Nic whispered, touching Paul's forehead. Paul sighed and closed his eyes, his face becoming peacefully serene with the sweet sleep that overtook him. Nic said something again in the weird language, pulling me close to him. His skin was warm, but not as hot as Paul's, and he smelled like a field of sweet flowers. I gaped in awe as color danced across his alabaster skin, tendrils of red and orange snaking around his neck and down his chest.

"Nic, what are you?" I asked tentively.

"_Sh, later," _he whispered back. It was still Nic's voice, just a little silkier. Still Nic's body, but when did he grow an eight pack and look so manly? Baby Nicky has been hitting the roids or something…I would be thinking about abs when I just ran over my possible boyfriend, who is also naked, nearly got killed by a pack of horse sized wolves, and am now being held by my best friend who is glowing like a freaking firefly.

Sigh.

"_Gabh esan, forladh. I will not betray your secret," _Nic said, his voice ringing deep with authority. I heard shuffling behind me, and Paul groaned. _"Don't worry, he is safe. Now it is your turn to sleep, my dear."_

"What?" I asked stupidly.

Nic touched my forehead and the world turned black.

I woke up feeling a tad dizzy and extremely groggy, like I had eaten a whole bottle of sleeping pills the night before. Images flashed through my head, of wolves and glowing, ethereal men.

"Dude, what happened last night?" I mumbled to myself. I was still wearing the jeans and T-shirt I had worn the day before, my shoes resting neatly beside my bed. My shoes were never neat.

Right on cue, I heard the phone ringing downstairs. I dragged myself out of bed and tried not to fall down the stairs as I made my way into the living room to where the phone was sitting on a table beside the couch.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey! You doing okay?" Paul's sweet voice floated through my ear.

"Uh, yeah. I think."

"You think?"

"I don't remember anything that happened last night."

"Oh…well, um, I came to pick you up but you said you weren't feeling well and went to bed. So I left."

"Did I?"

"Mmhmm."

I thought back as hard as I could. I did sort of recall seeing Paul. Why was he naked?

"Did we do it or something?" I asked, scrunching my eyebrows together.

"W-what?"

"I've seen you naked…somehow…" I mumbled, tapping my chin thoughtfully. Paul mumbled something on the other end, but I could only make out a few curse words. "What was that?"

"Stupid prissy fairy sonova…"

"What about fairies? Paul have you been smoking something I should know about?" I teased. He stopped talking, then sighed. I heard someone else talking in the background.

"Um, I have to go. But can I stop by later to check on you in person?" he said quickly.

"Sure. My butt will be planted on this couch allll day," I giggled. Jeez, now I sound like the one that's been smoking something weird. But smoking in general is weird. Mm, let's breathe in some smoke, tasty. What was I talking about again?

"Okay, well I'll see you later!"

Oh yeah, Paul.

"Okay, see you then," I sighed, reluctantly hanging up.

Something fishy was afoot.

"Hey hey, May May! Whatcha doing?" Jane asked as soon as the door opened. She ran to give me a hug, dumping her boots by the couch before crawling up beside me. Mo came in a few moments later with a bunch of shopping bags and looking slightly frazzled.

"Come on, let's help Aunt Mo," I said, picking Jane up off the couch with me. We helped Mo bring the rest of the bags into the house before putting the groceries away in their respective places, then all went to sit on the couch.

"Can we change it? That show is my real life," Mo grumbled, flipping CSI to some wedding show.

"But! But!"

"It's recording."

"Whew!"

We all settled in and watched some crazy lady harass her bridal party and future groom while somehow managing to run in five inch heels. Jane was soon asleep against my shoulder, her blonde ringlets spilled across her face like a hairy shield. Mo sighed, glancing down at her before looking grimly at me.

"No date with Paul last night?" she asked. I looked at her oddly.

"I fell asleep?" I said carefully. She looked confused.

"Yeah, you were asleep but Nic brought you home. You were barely able to walk by yourself up the stairs, and when you got to your bed you crashed again. Did somebody give you something suspicious? Did your drink taste funny?" she asked, pulling on her interrogation face. I scrunched my face up.

"I don't remember. I don't think so," I mumbled. Mo cocked an eyebrow at me as I wracked my brain for answers. The harder I tried to remember, the foggier my brain got. Images flashed through the fog, quick and barely discernible.

_Nic sighing and shrugging as I held up the tenth outfit of the day. I huffed at him and he grinned, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Cal ordered me to turn around, eying me in deep thought. She shook her head and continued flipping through the mass of clothing I had acquired over the years._

That part I remembered clearly. Nic and Cal had come over to help me decide on an outfit for my date with Paul.

"_I'll have two chocolate milkshakes and—what did you want, Callista?—Make that two vanilla milkshakes and one chocolate one please," Nic said, speaking to the box in front of him. The box magically spoke back, ordering us to drive around to the first window. When we pulled up the tired looking cashier opened the window_, _her eyes landing directly on Nic. She smiled prettily, making sure to lean far enough out the window to give us a glimpse of her ample cleavage. Nic was oblivious, of course, and merely handed her his exact change before taking off to the next window. _

"_Holy cheese, I thought those things were pop out and eat me," I grimaced. Nic cocked an eyebrow at me and handed Cal and I our milkshakes. Cal immediately stuffed the straw in her mouth and began slurping loudly, glaring at the cashier in the rear view mirror. I nudged her with my elbow and she smiled around her straw but continued looking forward. _

_Music. Wind. A sudden stop, and pain. Something was wrong with my shoulder. Cal was bleeding. Nic was bleeding. The Jeep was crushed. My head hurt really, really bad. _

"There was a wreck," I gasped suddenly, wide eyes beginning to focus back on the present. I jumped up, accidentally startling Jane as I raced up the stairs and into my room. I tore through the hamper and found my clothes from the previous day, turning them over in my hands to find no ragged tears or caked on blood. Eyebrows furrowed together in thought, my brain kept spitting random images out at me like a broken movie projector.

_Nic was scared. I was terrified. There was a body in the street. He had a tattoo. The man was bleeding and broken. When his eyes opened they were swirling caramel and pain. Deep, unbearable pain. Paul._

"Paul," I choked out, whipping around to a pair of acid green eyes. I screamed and dropped the clothes onto the floor, clutching my hand over my rapidly beating heart. "Sheezus, Nic!" I shrieked, panting.

The redhead cocked an eyebrow at me and bent down to eye level to peer at me warily. His eyes weren't acidic, just their normal hazel color. He poked my forehead and frowned.

"You should be in bed, young lady," he mumbled. Cal's head appeared over his shoulder and she smiled.

"I agree. Did your aunt take you to the doctor?" she asked, removing Nic's finger from my forehead. I didn't miss the way her hand lingered over his for a moment before she dropped it at his side. Nic's eyes slid over to watch her, surprised at the sudden contact.

"Doctor?" I asked stupidly. She nodded, glancing back at Nic who then had to pretend that he wasn't just staring at her.

"May…you hit your head really hard yesterday. Don't you remember?" she asked, cautiously threading her fingers through my hair. I winced as they hit a sore spot and shook my head.

"There was a wreck, wasn't there?" I asked. Nic's eyes widened a fraction of an inch before he quickly smoothed his face. Cal was looking at me like I had gone insane.

I was beginning to think I had.

"The Jeep," I said suddenly, moving to walk past my friends. I was almost out of my room when Nic caught my arm. His face look conflicted and he opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He bit his lip and sighed, then let me go. I ran down the stairs with Nic and Cal on my heels, flinging the front door open and stumbling down the front steps. I ignored the pain of gravel imbedding itself in my feet and hurried over to inspect the Jeep. There was not a scratch that hadn't existed before, no dented fender or busted window, and the headlights were still intact.

"_May," Paul breathed, wincing from the effort. My vision was beginning to blur, but I felt the warmth of his hand on my knee. So much blood. _

"Uh, what are you doing?" Cal asked, watching me curiously as I crawled out from under the Jeep. I took a deep breath and flopped back onto the asphalt, careful not to hit the bump on my head. I shivered a little against the cooling pavement, the rocks and pebbled digging into my skin and the smell of gasoline slightly comforting. I was not dreaming, I knew that much, but I wasn't crazy either.

"Um, maybe we should go talk to Mo," Cal said quietly. Nic said something to her before I heard the screen door slam shut and the sound of gravel crunching under booted feet. Nic crouched down beside me, his long hair shadowing his face from the bright street lamps. He took my hand and squeezed it.

"Hey, it's going to be alright. Okay? You're not crazy," he whispered.

"You don't believe me," I shot back, turning my head to look at him. The corners of his mouth turned down slightly.

"It's not that," he said softly. His eyes suddenly flickered left and he sighed. "Your boyfriend is going to be here in five seconds."

"My wha?" I gaped, looking up as two feet suddenly planted themselves on either side of my head.

"Hey babe," a deep voice chuckled from above. He bent over and waved, a small smile on his face. I gaped stupidly at Paul as he sat down and took my head into his lap. "I take it you're feeling better?" he asked.

I just stared at him.

He cocked an eyebrow and waved a hand in front of my face before glancing at Nic.

"What did you do to her?" he growled. Nic glared at him and stood up to leave, but was stopped by a massive hand clamped around his skinny arm. Nic looked like he was about to start shooting lasers out of his eyes as Paul asked, "Where do you think you're going?" They glared at each other for a few moments in silent conversation before Nic slapped Paul's hand away and walked inside. Paul's eyes followed him all the way up the stairs before he looked back down at me.

"You're upside-down," I commented. He chuckled and patted my shoulder.

"No, I'm right side up. You're the one who is upside-down," he teased.

_Paul screaming in pain. Something was happening to him. The air smelled like blood and burning flesh._

I quickly sat up, nearly nailing Paul in the nose, and turned to face him. He watched as I ran my fingers along his face and neck, searching for some kind of wound. I moved his hands away and pulled his shirt up, running my hands along his chest and sides, then looked over his shoulder at his back before I sat back down again and started making quick work of his belt.

"Hey now, if you wanted to see me naked all you had to do was ask," he smirked, stopping my hands. He placed them back in my lap before straightening his clothes back out. "Want to tell me what's wrong?" he asked, his brown eyes softening as he took my hands. I looked at him in confusion for a moment before crawling into his lap to think. His warmth surrounded me as his arms circled my shoulders, holding me tightly against him.

"Paul?" I said quietly. He hummed in reply, pressing his fingers into my shoulder before letting his hand skim down my arm. "Paul…I'm not crazy," I mumbled. He chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

"Why would I think that?" he asked. "Every girl wants to take my clothes off at some point in time."

He laughed as I swatted his chest and frowned. When I didn't speak after a few moments, he pressed his forehead against my own and forced me to look at him.

"Paul, you…you were hurt really bad. I think we ran over you," I mumbled, letting my fingers graze his cheek.

"Really now?" he said quietly. I couldn't tell if he doubted me or was genuinely interested in what I had to say, but I continued anyway.

"Yesterday after I got milkshakes with my friends, we hit something. I think it was you. You were bloody and bruised up and…naked," I said, mumbling the last part. He smiled, rubbing his nose against mine.

"I think you just had a bad dream last night," he replied, not sounding remotely surprised at my weird outburst.

"It wasn't a dream!" I argued. I jumped as Nic's voice suddenly appeared at my ear.

"Mo says we should go get you checked out, just in case," he said firmly.

"In case of what?"

He tapped his temple and grinned.

"In case we have to stick you in the loony bin," he chuckled. "Cal and I will stay here and take care of Jane. Looks like your little boyfriend is going to have to take a hike," Nic said darkly, glaring at Paul. Little? Really Nic, he's three times your size.

"Try me," Paul glowered back. I glanced back and forth between them, then giggled as I thought of lightning bolts shooting out of their eyes like in a cartoon. They both looked down at me, so I had to tell them what it looked like.

"You are mental," Nic sighed.

Mo came rushing out of the house, her keys jingling as she hurried over and handed me a hoodie and some flip flops. She jerked her head toward her patrol car and I suddenly found myself five feet in the air. I shot a look at Paul that hopefully said 'Put me down or die,' but it seemed to have no effect. He opened the door and scooted in backwards so that I was still in his lap, then pulled the seatbelt across the both us.

"What?" he asked, grinning as he finally noticed my glare. I shook my head and looked toward the front as Mo started the car. I waved at Nic, Cal and Jane as we pulled out of the driveway and headed off down the darkened street.

Even though everything had seemed fine, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The images in my head were so real that I refused to acknowledge them as dream material, even though everyone else was saying I was nuts. The Jeep was fine, Paul was fine, Nic and Cal were fine. No one was bleeding or scraped up. I leaned my head against Paul's shoulder, pressing my forehead against his warm neck and closing my eyes. His slow pulse beat comfortingly against my skin, his heat beginning to melt away the cold in my fingers and toes. I breathed in his smoky, woodsy scent and sighed against his skin.

"Something just isn't right," I mumbled quietly.

Paul's arms tightened around me in comfort, but his pulse drummed heavily in my ears.

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE READ!**

**1)The language Nic is speaking is supposed to Gaelic, but I could not find any good translations anywhere, so I just did my best to be kinds sorta accurate. It's Irish and not Scottish Gaelic, so I'm sorry for that, but I couldn't find Scottish anywhere! Please excuse my sucky language skills. DX Basically he's telling the wolves to leave and that he won't betray their secret. More on Nicky and his super awesomeness later! ;D**

**2) PLEASEEEEE go read mel. (delete the space here)wolfgirl's Imprinting Chronicles. She is seriously freaking awesome at writing. So put down the piece of crap you are currently reading and go check out her stories! :D The first 'book' is about Embry, and the second one is about Paul. Embry is dead sexy. Srrsly. I'm about to start on the Paul one, and I can't WAIT! So please, do yourself a favor and go read that magnificent piece of literature!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Yeah I'm not even going to attempt to apologize this time. I'm kind of losing motivation for this story, so I'll just put out a new chapter whenever I get around to it I guess. Sorry guys! :(**

**Warning: Yeah there's some cursing and a little hawtness later on. ;) **

**This chapter is dedicate to gabycaldemeraz, because she needs a pick-me-up that doesn't consist of me sending her tons of sexy Rain videos. :) Love ya girl! **

**If you want to know about the POV switching, it's just to help me not get bored when writing. A small breath of fresh air, maybe. XD**

**Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think! Even if you think it sucks. :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Alright, now say 'ah,'" the doctor requested gently. I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth for him to stare creepily into while Paul snickered off to the side. Mo shot him a look and he quieted down.

"For the last time, I'm _fine_," I argued. "It's not my fault that no one believes me."

I crossed my arms and glared at Paul out of the corner of my eye. He blew a kiss and was promptly wacked in the stomach by Mo. He looked a little sheepish as she hissed in pain and cursed under her breath. The doctor gave the two of them a disapproving look before plopping down into his spinney chair. He typed something into the small computer at his side before looking back at me.

"How would you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?" he asked.

"Negative five," I growled. Mo glared at me and I sighed. "I don't feel it unless I touch it. I wasn't even aware that I had a bump on my head until Cal pointed it out to me."

The doctor nodded, his thin comb-over flopping into his eyes. He smoothed it back into place and continued typing, then looked at Mo.

"Were there any reports of wrecks last night, Detective Jameson?" he asked. Mo shook her head in the negative. The doctor sighed and stood up, then smiled at me.

"I'll get you in for a MRI and then you can be on your way," he said, waving once before closing the door behind him.

My eyes widened and I stared at Mo, shaking my head rapidly. She shrugged and looked up at Paul's towering figure.

"You'll have to hold her hand, bud. Last time I did it and she nearly broke my fingers," she commented rudely. I narrowed my eyes at her and Paul chuckled.

"What, is big bad May scared of a silly machine?" he crooned, pinching my cheeks. I slapped his hand away and crossed my arms, glaring at the ground. The examination table creaked as Paul scooted up beside me. He slid an arm around my shoulders and hugged me close.

"So what's so scary about this thing?" he asked. Mo snickered in the corner, but quickly turned it into a cough when I shot a flesh melting glare at her. She eventually quieted down and I turned up to look at Paul.

"It's not the machine that scares me. It's just so tiny in there. Bleh!" I shivered, shaking my head. Paul cocked an eyebrow at me.

"You're tiny, May," he commented.

"It's tinier," I whispered dramatically, hugging my arms around myself.

There was a knock at the door and the balding doctor poked his head back in, smiling in what I supposed he thought was a comforting manner. It wasn't.

"He's mocking me," I hissed through the corner of my mouth. Paul rolled his eyes and picked me up off the table, grabbing my hand as he set me on my feet. I took a deep breath to calm myself and reluctantly followed the doctor out.

I felt like I was walking to face certain death. The walls were too white, too sterile, the nurses' smiles too fake. I held onto Paul for dear life, my eyes shifting around suspiciously. I nearly ripped the shirt off of Paul's back when Mo decided it would be funny to sneak up on me and grab my sides. I glared at her from atop Paul's shoulder as she cackled evilly behind us. If she hadn't been family (and the source of my food, shelter, and general happiness) I would have flipped her the bird. Paul chuckled and continued following the doctor.

We entered the room and Doc asked Mo a bunch of questions, seeing as how I was wrapped around Paul and not speaking to anyone. When the questioning was over he told me lie down on the table and relax.

No way Jose.

"May. Let go," Paul said firmly as he tried to detach me from himself. I clamped my legs harder around his waist and shook my head. "You're being a baby. Come on," he grunted, pulling at my legs. I heard footsteps and Mo was suddenly in my face, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"May Georgia Jameson, you get on that table this instant or there will be no CSI for a month!" she hissed. I blanched a little at that but kept my grip on Paul. I heard him sigh and shivered as his warm lips skimmed over my ear.

"If you're a good little girl and do as the doctor says, I'll take you out for ice cream," he whispered.

…curse him.

"Will there be hot fudge?" I sniffed.

"All the hot fudge you want, baby," he growled. Oh no. Not the sexy voice. The potential threat of ice cream is bad enough, but ice cream, hot fudge, _and _the sexy voice?

I'm toast.

I pretended to deliberate over my choices for a moment while Mo continued to glare at me.

"Throw in some M&M's and full can of whipped cream," I sighed reluctantly.

"Deal," Paul and Mo both grinned.

I forced myself to untangle my limbs from around Paul and stood beside the large machine, rubbing my arms awkwardly. Doc handed me a pair of earplugs and motioned for me to get on the table. I shoved the bits of foam in my ears and climbed on, grumbling inwardly about the ruthless persuasion I had not known Paul was capable of. I shot him a glare before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. A large, warm hand squeezed my fingers gently before I heard a door closing. I squeezed my eyes even tighter as the table started moving and I could feel the walls of the giant machine closing in on me.

_I believe I can flyyyy, _I sang in my head, trying to imagine myself on top of a mountain. Better yet, a mountain of ice cream. I jumped as the machine started up, extremely loud in my ears even with the earplugs. Make that mountain of ice cream pillowed with large mounds of whipped cream, waterfalls of chocolate sauce spilling over into frothy pools of syrupy goodness! And volcanoes of hot fudge! And a sun made of bubblegum! And—

"Okay, we're done with the test now," Doc's voice said, floating through a speaker somewhere to my left. I grinned and opened my eyes, then realized that I was still inside the narrow tunnel of doom.

"Help," I squeaked, slamming my eyelids closed again. The table slowly began to retract from the tunnel. I shimmied out as soon as the there was floor beneath my feet and pulled the earplugs out, then nearly gave Doc a broken nose when I pushed the door open.

"Oh hi," I smiled breathlessly, scooting past him so I could be out of that blasted room as soon as possible. Mo gave me a pointed look and Paul snorted. "Doc, feel free to talk to Mo if I'm crazy. Let's go, Paul!" I said, shooting down the hall. I saw the tiniest hint of a smirk when Paul caught up with me and grabbed my hand.

"See? It wasn't so bad now was it?" he chuckled. I paused and turned to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Paul?" I asked, sliding up to him.

"Yes?"

"Paaaauuullyy. Let's go to Icecream Mountain, Paulyyy," I whined. He cocked his eyebrow at me and turned me back in the direction we had come from. I gave him a curious look and he smiled at me.

"Mo says the ice cream is going to have to wait because you have school tomorrow," he grinned.

My jaw dropped to the floor and I looked between him and Mo incredulously.

"I just…I just risked my life and sanity—"

"Well, we're already questioning that bit," Mo smirked with a wink. I pouted and turned my eyes to Paul, making them water slightly. He blinked a few times in surprise and then glanced at Mo guiltily. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head at him. He looked back down at me and bit his bottom lip, his eyebrows knitted in thought. He suddenly clapped his hands on my shoulders and bent so that he was eye level with me. I let a small tear escape from the corner of my eye and he looked pained, wincing as he used his thumb to wipe it away. Yeah. See what you've done, Mr. Meraz? Insert evil laughter here.

"Stay right here. I'll be back in a few seconds," he said, leaning in to kiss my tear stained cheek. He pulled back and gave me a small smile before heading off down the hall. I suppressed a giggle as he smacked himself on the head a few times.

"You've known this boy how long?" Mo asked, crossing her arms.

"A few weeks," I grinned. She rolled her eyes.

"He's already whipped," she chuckled.

There was a hard poke on my shoulder. I turned back around to face a slightly disgruntled looking Paul.

"I am not whipped. And you were faking it, weren't you?" he grunted, handing me a package of Ho Ho's. I batted my eyelashes sweetly and tore into the package, biting off a hunk before offering him the rest as a peace gift. He huffed but ate it anyway.

"Him! He's the one that broke the vending machine!" someone shouted. A male nurse jabbed his finger at Paul and looked at the security guards behind him.

"Oh shit," Paul cursed.

"Paul what did you do?" I squeaked as he threw me over his shoulder. Mo squawked as he picked her up from around her waist and hurried off in the opposite direction of the quickly approaching security guards.

"Did you break the machine?" I laughed. He looked both ways before whisking us into an elevator and jabbed the close door button.

"I warned it," he grumbled, not even flinching as Mo punched her fists into his side.

"Unhand me, you brute! I am a woman of the law! I can have you put in jail!" she shrieked. Paul ignored her and hurried out of the elevator and into the parking lot and breakneck speeds. He quickly found Mo's patrol car and set us down by it. Mo kicked him in the shin and glared at him angrily.

"Just WHO do you think you are, Mister?" she screamed, stamping her foot like a five year old. A vein throbbed dangerously in her temple.

"Mo, chill out before you have an aneurism," I chuckled, jabbing her in the side with my elbow. She turned her fury filled eyes to me and I gulped. Luckily Paul stepped in and blocked me from any impending attacks. He pinned her to the car with his hands on both sides of her and leaned down to her eye level, smirking as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I am Paul Alejandro Mathias Meraz. And you are?" he rumbled. Mo stood speechless, her hands hanging limply in front of her. Paul brushed a finger down the bridge of her nose and winked before straightening back up. "I'll leave now before she comes back to her senses," he whispered, jabbing a finger in Mo's direction. The color was already coming back into her face, she was recovering quickly.

"Alright. I'll see you later Casanova," I chuckled. He grinned and waved before turning around. I remembered something and caught the edge of his sleeve. He looked over his shoulder at me before turning to face me fully.

"Uh…thanks for coming," I mumbled, rubbing my arm shyly. He smiled and ruffled my hair before taking off at a slow jog into the surrounding woods.

I watched him leave, curious at the tiny pang of sadness I felt tugging at my chest.

Paul crouched behind a bush while he tugged his shirt over his head, then stood up to finish wiggling into his pants. He looked up at the window hopefully, taking an approaching step out of the darkness.

"Taken up peeping at young girls, have we?" a honeyed voice said from behind him. It was only then that he felt the oddly warm air tugging at the back of his shirt. He whipped around to face the red head leaning against a tree, peering at his fingernails. He snarled and hazel eyes flickered up to him amusedly.

"What do you want, fairy?" Paul growled, crossing his arms. The red head frowned and flicked something off of his shirt.

"I wish you wouldn't call me that," he sighed, pushing himself off of the tree. Paul bristled as he came to stand next to him, the red head a few inches shorter than the towering native. The hazel eyed boy seemed oddly calm, but a hint of grimness tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"She's breaking through my spell," he grumbled, glaring at the window above them.

"And whose fault is that?" Paul hissed. The red head looked up at him, hazel eyes flashing acidic green.

"Yours, actually," he replied.

Paul snorted and took to looking back at the window. He took a deep breath to calm himself and frowned slightly as the girl's heartbeat quickened slightly.

"She's just dreaming," the red head said softly, almost comfortingly.

"Yeah, I know," Paul grumbled. "How is this spell breaking thing my fault?"

The red head shrugged.

"I'm not completely sure, but I think your imprinting magic is stronger than my magic. I am only half fay after all," he explained.

"Don't you mean fairy?" Paul corrected, smirking. The red head rolled his eyes.

"As I was saying, the imprinter does everything it can to protect the imprinted. So it makes sense that the bond itself would reject any other kind of magic that tries to mess with her. "

"Imprinting isn't magic, stupid. It's instinct."

"Whatever."

They stood in silence for a few moments before Paul huffed.

"I have to leave for a few days. I'll have someone watching her at home, but you have to take care of her at school. Make sure that Noah kid leaves her the hell alone," he growled.

"Alright, I'll do my best," the red head sighed. He watched Paul take a few steps forward before he grinned. "See ya, mutt," he said. Paul growled and whipped around, but the red head was already gone.

"Tch. Coward," he growled before continuing his climb up the wall.

I was drowning.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get my limbs to move. They floated beside me, dead weight dragging me further into the abyss. I could see lights flashing at the surface, but all I heard was the sound of my heartbeat slowing with each second that passed. I closed my eyes. My chest hurt.

The current changed, pushing me up toward the surface. Something warm was clamped around my wrist, dragging me behind it. Someone's muffled voice was in my ear, faintly familiar. We broke the surface and I opened my eyes and took a deep breath.

"May?" a deep voice asked. I blinked a few times, panting heavily to regain my breath. I was in my room, the thin light of dawn slanting in through my window. Paul's face suddenly appeared, his warm brown eyes tight with concern.

"Heya, Paul," I whispered, smiling slightly.

"Don't 'Heya, Paul' me. Are you okay?" he asked, pushing the hair out of my face. "You weren't breathing."

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm okay. Thanks for saving me."

I sank back into my pillows and closed my eyes tiredly. I felt the bed shift as he lay next to me, his warmth immediately enveloping me as he pulled me to him. His heartbeat, slow and constant, thrummed comfortingly under my ear. I felt a warm breeze ruffle my hair, and the sound of waves lapping at my feet. The sun was warm on my skin, the sand sticky but not uncomfortable. _I'll wash it off later,_ I thought.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" Paul's voice rumbled.

I nodded, breathing in his scent. His lips were at my hair. He shifted so that I was under him, his mouth travelling down my jaw line. I opened my eyes, loving the way the sun bounced off of his copper skin and the way his hair was always a little messy. I arched into his touch as his hand skimmed down my torso, his lips at my throat.

"Anything I can do to make it better?" he whispered in my ear, nibbling on my earlobe. His deep voice sent shivers down my spine, his warm hands pushing my arms up over my head.

"Nnngh," I mumbled incoherently. He chuckled and ran his thumb over my bottom lip, pulling it out as he nipped my top lip between the two of his and sucked lightly. I heard something snap and my heart started beating faster as his body lowered. He pressed something into my hand, and I groaned at the contact of his heated flesh, his hand pressing against my hip and pulling me to him.

"Damn baby," he hissed, grinding his hips into me. He covered my mouth with his to muffle my cries, his hips and mouth turning me into a quivering mess. Warmth pooled in my lower stomach and spread throughout my body, making me pull at him harder. He sat up and pulled his shirt the rest of the way off before falling back into my waiting arms. His body molded perfectly against mine, each dip and curve joining seamlessly.

"P-Paul, I…I…" I panted, writhing beneath him.

"You what, baby?" he whispered against my skin, nose pressed into my sternum as he inhaled deeply.

"I want…I need…"

I struggled with the words, my thoughts too jumbled and clouded for me to think straight. My knees clamped against his hips as he nuzzled the exposed part of my chest.

"I want you too," he growled in my ear, his voice deep and hinging on guttural. "I need you more than anything. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

I threw my head back against the sand as he ground harder against me, soundless screams caught in my throat.

_**GOODMORNING JLUV LISTENERS! IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY! **_

My eyes shot open and I smacked the alarm clock on my bedside table before flopping back onto my bed. My heart was racing and I flushed when I remembered what I had been dreaming about.

_Aw, just when it got to the good part,_ a tiny part of me said.

I snorted and stood up, stretching my arms over my head. I jumped when something fell on top of my head and was halfway across my room before I realized that it was just a harmless necklace. I picked it up from its spot on the floor and turned it over in my hands, eyes wide in wonder at the row of sharp teeth tied to a leather strap. Paul's image flashed before my eyes and I blinked, remembering that he had pressed something into my hand in the dream. I threw the necklace on to the floor and backed away, my heart pounding in my chest.

"It was just a dream…right?" I whispered. My foot bumped against the wall and I turned around, leaning my forehead against the cool glass. "Just a dream. He probably gave that me to me before he left. I think," I mumbled to myself.

I opened my eyes and froze when a pair of yellow eyes stared back at me from the woods.

**_**Elsewhere in the Land of Oz. Just kidding.****_

I jumped when she opened her eyes and caught me staring at her. I turned and ran as fast as possible in the opposite direction, feet pounding at the earth beneath my paws. I smirked, more than a little gleeful at what had just occurred. Of course I felt a little bad considering she was still half asleep, but I don't think she minded.

"_Oh no, she didn't mind at __**all**__," _Jared snickered.

I rolled my eyes and quickly caught up with the rest of the pack, making sure to barrel as hard as I could into Jared before I took my place next to Sam.

"_What the hell was that for?" _Jared snarled, nipping at my side. Sam growled in rebuke and told us to focus.

"_Paul is a pedophile," _Leah sang, bumping her shoulder against mine. I glared at her, but she just barked a laugh and butted into me again. It was not my fault that I imprinted on someone younger than me. At least she was more legal that Claire.

"_Hey, I take offense to that,"_ Quil whined.

"_You should," _Embry chuckled.

I snorted and tried to focus on the horizon, willing my heart to stop pounding so hard. An image of her face when I ground into her flashed through my mind, making me groan.

"_Dude. Paul. We did NOT want to see that," _Embry flinched.

"_Sorry," _I grunted, _"I'm trying."_

"_Not hard enough," _Leah gagged.

"_So when is Jake—"_

"_Right here," _Jake's voice thundered through our minds. He looked back at a house I recognized as Ina's and took off, letting us know he would be with us in a few minutes. I snarled when Quil replayed my thoughts to Jake, but it was too late.

"_Aww, look at Pauly bringing his kill to his mate like a good little puppy," _he cooed.

"_That bear had it coming," _I grunted.

"_She almost had it coming," _Quil snickered. Sam snarled at him and told us to shut up, that we were getting close. Everyone quieted down as the sickly sweet scent of leech flooded our nostrils, so strong that it made our eyes water. We slowed once we realized Jake was no longer with us and turned back to see him frozen behind us, his eyes wide.

"_What's up, Jake?" _Sam questioned, padding over to him. When Jake didn't answer, Sam butted him gently with his snout until Jake shook his head.

"_Earth to Jake, Earth to Jake, anyone alive in there?" _Jared chuckled, swatting Jake's nose with his paw. Jake turned to Sam and we all felt the abrupt sense of emptiness as they cut us off to relate their thoughts to each other.

"_Owch, man," _Embry winced, lowering his belly to the ground. Leah whimpered but the two alphas ignored her until they were finished. We all sighed with relief when the connection was brought back to us, the familiar warmth flooding through us. Sam nodded at Jake before turning to us. Jake's thoughts were a jumbled mixture, images of Ina and Bella flashing through his head so quickly they were almost molded together.

"_What is it, Jake?" _Quil asked, licking Jake's snout for reassurance. Jake bowed his head before looking back up at us. His gaze wondered over each other pack, his eyes hard with worry. They landed on me and I stopped whacking Jared with my tail and paid attention.

"_It's Bella," _he sighed, his voice heavy with defeat. I padded up to him and butted him in the shoulder.

"_You go home, man. Or better yet, go back to Ina's. We'll take care of this," _I said, forgetting that I was a wolf as I attempted to smile. Quil burst out laughing in his head and Embry flinched a little.

"_That was the creepiest thing I've ever seen," _he teased. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Jake, butting him again when he didn't reply. He looked at Sam for confirmation, and when Sam nodded he was gone in a flash. Sam watched him for a moment before turning to the rest of us.

"_Embry, phase back and call Cullen. Quil, Jared, and Leah go after the other three leeches. Paul, you're with me," _he ordered.

"_We going after the bitch?" _I growled. Sam nodded once and took off. I quickly followed behind, for once relishing in the scent of vampire. Sam might have been bigger, but I was faster, and he let me lead as we raced toward the kill.

"_No killing, Paul," _Sam growled in warning.

I smirked and continued running.


End file.
